TUFF Cooper, Things of Thieves and Agents
by THEEVILDOER
Summary: Kitty Katswell and Sly Cooper, along with each one's friends, will have to clean their names working together, but they don't like each other, so sparks are sure to fly. Somewhat OOC and AU. Hints of SlyxKitty, but mainly SlyxCarmelita and DudleyxKitty.
1. From Agents to Thieves

Chapter 1.- From Agents to Thieves.

Sly Cooper was doing some undercover work with his partner and wife, Carmelita Montoya Fox-Cooper. They both were trying to catch their old enemy, Muggshot when he was going to meet with some criminal called "the Chameleon".  
They were undercover as a couple that was celebrating their anniversary, (which was real), while they waited for Muggshot and that Chameleon guy.  
- Where the heck is Muggshot? He should've been here since an hour ago. - Sly complained.  
- He'll come, just calm down, ringtail, they can discover us. - Carmelita said while she sipped at her coffee.  
Just then, before Sly could reply, a lizard-like guy in a black electronic suit, with a long coat and a hat covering him, got inside the coffee shop where Sly and Carmelita were.  
- Looks like we got lucky, that should be the Cham-a-leeon, or Chameleon, or however it goes. - Sly said.  
- Looks like he's not alone either, he's got some company. - Carmelita added while she pointed a dog and a cat entering just after the Chameleon.  
- I don't think they're with him, I don't sense any disturbance in the Force around them, but that lizard guy, he's the one we're after.  
- Ok, shut up and try to hide your face, Muggshot's coming in.  
And our favorite vixen was right, Muggshot had just entered the coffee shop. He was wearing a long coat, which was strange because of his enormous arms. Sly and Carmelita thought that it was funny that Muggshot actually wore almost the same outfit that the Chameleon was wearing.  
Meanwhile, Dudley Puppy and his partner Kitty Kastwell had taken a seat to watch over the Chameleon and an uknown villain to them, some big, muscled, purple-furred dog called Muggshot.  
- Kitty, I have the strange feeling that we're being watched. - Dudley said to her partner quietly.  
- Well, this time you're right, it seems that that raccoon and that vixen had been staring and saying some things about us. - Kitty replied as she glaced at the vixen. - Still, we have to concentrate in this mission, we have never seen nor we know what this Muggshot guy can do.  
- No worries Kitty, I'm sure I can handle him. - Dudley said confidently.  
- Dudley, this Muggshot is almost thrice your weight, strenght and height.  
- Ow, then I'll leave him to you.  
- We'll handle both the Chameleon and Muggshot, don't you worry about it.  
- I'm more worried about the ringtail and the vixen over there.  
- We also should keep an eye on them, I don't know why, but I think I've seen that raccoon somewhere.  
- I think the same, I'm not sure.  
Dudley and Kitty kept talking about why they thought they have seen the raccoon for a couple more minutes, while Sly and Carmelita were talking about how they were going to catch the new criminal and Muggshot.  
All of a sudden, Muggshot stood up and slammed his fist hard on the table, breaking it immediately, while he yelled "I ain't gonna follow any orders anymore!".  
- Guess it's showtime, Carm/Kitty. - Sly and Dudley said while they stood up to face Muggshot and the Chameleon.  
Dudley and Sly walked in silence to where the criminals were, until the Chameleon recognized both of them. He turned into some kind of weapon and shot two shiny round discs to Sly and Carmelita's chests. They tried to dodge them, but to no avail, the discs embedded into the Interpol officers' flesh, making them groan and cringe in pain.  
Dudley and Kitty saw this, so they tried to catch the Chameleon, only to be punched hardly on the chest by Muggshot. Then, the Interpol and the T.U.F.F. agents were thrown against each other, and Muggshot took Sly by his shirt, put him in front of his face and said:  
- You really thought I'd forget about ya, Cooper? - Muggshot said to Sly.  
- No, but you really need to carry some mints, your breath is awful. - Sly replied.  
- Oh ya don't know how much I'm gonna enjoy killing you with my bare hands, Cooper.  
- Muggshot we must leave, we can't handle both T.U.F.F. and the Interpol at the same time. - The Chameleon said while he was tugging in Muggshot's coat.  
- Yer safe by now, but remember that I'm gonna rip ya into a million pieces. - Muggshot said to Sly.  
Muggshot grunted and threw Sly hardly against a wall. Sly hit the wall and he broke it down, falling unconcious a second later.  
Several minutes later, Sly was regaining his conciousness, when he heard that someone was calling his name.  
- Sly... Sly? Are you alive? Please ringtail, respond. - The voice said.  
- Come on ringtail, wake up. - A man voice said.  
Sly opened his eyes and he saw a white dog in front of him, he startled and tried to punch him in the face.  
- Whoa! Calm down! - The dog asked.  
Sly made the dog trip and he cuffed him with great ability. Then, Carmelita grabbed him by his shoulders and made him face her.  
- Ringtail stop! He's not a bad guy!  
- Huh? What are you talking about now Carm?  
- He's the one that helped me get you out of the rubble.  
Sly glanced at the dog and raised an eyebrow.  
- Are you serious? He looks like he's even more stupid than Naruto.  
- He is stupid, but he's also the best agent we got in T.U.F.F. - A cat behind Carmelita said.  
- Who are you? You look somewhat familiar. - Sly asked the cat.  
- My name is Kitty Katswell, and he is my partner, Dudley Puppy.  
- Who are you anyway? And why were you going to face the Chameleon and that Muggshot guy? - The dog now known a Dudley asked.  
- We're from the Interpol, I'm Detective Carmelita Montoya Fox and he's my partner and husband, Inspector Sly Cooper. - Carmelita answered.  
Sly and Kitty's eyes went wide open when they realized something.  
- YOU! - Sly and Kitty yelled while pointing at each other.  
Dudley and Carmelita raised and eyebrow and glanced at the raccoon and the cat.  
- You're that thief that Jack and I could never caught! - Kitty yelled at Sly while she pointed him with a threatening finger.  
- And you're one of those agents that almost ruined the recovery of my cane! - Sly replied while he imitated Kitty.  
- You should be at jail!  
- Guess what, I'm not!  
- Can anyone explain what are you twon talking about? - Carmelita asked.  
Sly and Kitty sighed and glanced at their respective partners.  
- You see. - Sly began. - Many years ago, before I went in my crusade to recover the Thievius Racconus, some lousy criminals caught me and stole my cane.  
- But before that, this dirty criminal stole a valuable painting from the Petropolis Museum. - Kitty added.  
- I'm not a "dirty criminal", I'm a master thief. - Sly said. - Anyway, when I recovered it, this kitten and his idiotic and smug partner tried to catch me.  
- But somehow, we couldn't, he and his gang of thieves got away.  
- It was because you and your old partner were too stupid to let your guard down when you caught me.  
- Don't call me stupid!  
- I'll do whatever I want!  
- Can anyone uncuff me? - Dudley asked.  
While Sly and Kitty growled at each other, Carmelita went with Dudley and uncuffed him.  
- Ringtail, we don't have any time to fight, we must go after Muggshot. - Carmelita said.  
- No, because he's under arrest for robbing the museum and for interfering in a T.U.F.F. mission. - Kitty said while she took her cuffs.  
- I don't think so, if you couldn't catch me on the past, what makes you think you can do it now? - Sly asked with a smirk.  
- Because I now know mastered all the forms of martial arts.  
- (Yawn) And? I also know some about martial arts.  
- Inspector Cooper! - A badger with a cigar in his mouth yelled as he entered the coffee shop.  
- Agent Katswell! - A flea in a monitor yelled as he imitated the badger.  
Sly and Kitty's eyes went wide open and they immediately saluted as their bosses entered the rests of the coffee shop.  
- Wait a minute, Barton? - The flea said.  
- Herbert? - The badger said in unison.  
- It's been a really long time isn't it?  
- Yeah, what have you done in all this years?  
- Uh, can you tell me what's happening here? - Dudley asked quietly to Carmelita.  
- I think your boss knows mine. - Carmelita responded.  
- Well, that's right Detective Fox. - The badger said.  
- I'm Sly's wife, remember Chief Barkley?  
- Still, Detective Fox suits you better, anyway, I want you both to meet my old partner from college, Herbert Dumbrowski.  
- Agents, I want you to meet my old partner, Barton Barkley. - Herbert said.  
- I still don't get it, how is it that you two were partners? - Dudley asked.  
- You'll see... - Barton tried to say before six agents broke into the remains of the coffe shop.  
- Freeze! All of you are under arrest for enter into a military base of the United States of America and for stealing a secret weapon! - Said the leader of the agents.  
- Are they really humans? - The T.U.F.F. agents asked in unison.  
- I'm sorry, you must be confusing us with someone else. - Sly said as a matter-of-factly.  
- No, we are not, you are the T.U.F.F. agents Dudley Puppy, Kitty Katswell and Herbert Dumbrowski, and the Interpol oficers Carmelita MOntoya Fox, Barton Barkley and Sly Cooper. - The lead agent said again.  
- I'm sorry, but I have to say this... I'm not going to prison, at least not for a crime that I didn't commit. - Sly said with a determined frown.  
Sly looked at Carmelita and the latter nodded in understandment.  
- Carmelita NOW! - Sly yelled while he threw two smoke bombs at the floor.  
Carmelita and Sly shocked all six agents with their shock pistols, and when the smoke had cleared out, the T.U.F.F. members and Chief Barkley could see it.  
Sly and Carmelita then rushed with them and took Dudley and Kitty by their wrists, confusing them a little.  
- What do you think you're doing?! - Kitty asked very startled.  
- Chief! You and your friend must come with us! - Carmelita shouted as she and her husband ignored Kitty's question.  
Chief Barkley hesitated a moment but he grabbed Chief Dumbrowski in his hands and ran after the former officers.  
Sly and Carmelita ran through the back door and then they headed to their car, but many agents were taking it away.  
- Damn! Now how do we escape from those agents! - Sly cursed.  
- If you let me go, I can go search the T.U.F.F. Mobile. - Dudley said.  
Sly looked at him and then he released the former agent.  
Dudley ran to the T.U.F.F. Mobile, he ignited the motor and then sped off to where his partner, his boss and the others were. - Hop aboard! - Dudley yelled.  
- Are you insane?! - Sly yelled back.  
- Just do it ringtail! - Carmelita ordered.  
Dudley drifted and everybody jumped into the T.U.F.F. Mobile. After everyone was aboard, Dudley sped off again, this time being followed by the agents that tried to catch them.  
Sly and Carmelita saw the vehicles and they bared their teeth, while they tried to think of a way to lose them.  
- Sly, do you still have the hyper-cube? - Carmelita asked.  
- Yes, I think Jack put some weapons in it. - Sly said.  
- You're working with Jack! You traitor! - Kitty shouted.  
- I'm working with Jack SKELLINGTON, not your stupid former partner! - Sly shouted back.  
- Cooper! Just shut up and start shooting already! - Barkley ordered.  
Sly searched in his backpack and pulled out a small and bluish cube with a opening in the top. The former master thief pressed a button in the side and two weapons were spitted by the cube. Carmelita and Sly took the weapons and they turned them to their stunning mode.  
- Are you freaking insane?! You're about to kill government agents! - Kitty yelled.  
- We're not going to kill them, we'll just stun them, but I can't say the same of their vehicles! - Sly responded while he began shooting.  
Sly and Carmelita began shooting their rifles and the military vehicles tried in vain to avoid the shoots, but they couldn't.  
- What do we do now!? - Dudley asked.  
- We'll have to recruit my old gang and solve this! - Sly responded while he reloaded his rifle.  
- Not that! I say what do we do now because there's a block ahead! - Dudley yelled again.  
Everyone glanced at the front of the TUFF Mobile and there was a block.  
Sly thought a few seconds and said:  
- Turn to the left and gimme some more time to think of something!  
Sly kept shooting as he thought of a way to escape from the agents and he remembered the time he was in Venice while he was trying to convince Murray to rejoin the gang. He remembered that Murray and he escaped from Carmelita by using a manhole.  
- Can this thing go thorugh the sewers? - Sly asked.  
- I guess so. - Kitty replied.  
- Take my rifle and keep shooting, I have to do something! - Sly said.  
- What are you doing, ringtail?! - Carmelita asked.  
- Saving our butts!  
Sly jumped to the front of the TUFF Mobile and then he pulled out his family cane, which he used to climb to a nearby building.  
- Is he abandoning us?! - Dudley asked.  
- No, we have to trust him, I know ringtail can be anoying and a former thief, but I know he would never let his friends, let alone his wife, get caught without a fight. - Carmelita replied.  
- I hope you're right, because if he abandon us I'll personally find him and use my lethal ten claws on him. - Kitty warned.  
- Better use your breath, it's just as bad as Muggshot's. - Carmelita said with a smirk.  
Kitty growled and she took Sly's rifle to keep the agents as far as possible from them.  
All the while, Sly was using his Rocket Boots gadget and all his master thief abilities to keep up with the TUFF Mobile, while he was trying to find a way to get a way to save his boss, his wife, Dudley and the latter's chief, he really didin't cared about Kitty, but he was going to save her anyway.  
Sly watched every inch in the street below, trying to find a way to lose the agents. After five minutes Sly saw a really big manhole, which was big enough to let the TUFF Mobile get in without any problem. Sly smirked and took his communicator.  
- Carm! I've found a manhole, I'm gonna open it but first you got to throw the smoke bombs that you have left to blind the agents so they won't follow us. - Sly said through his earpiece.  
- Got it, you do that, I'll throw the smoke bombs once you've opened the manhole, over. - Carmelita's voice replied.  
- You don't have to say over, you know?  
Sly jumped and used the remaining combustible for his Rocket Boots to have an extra boost, so he could arrive to the manhole before the TUFF Mobile. Sly somehow managed to lift the heavy manhole cover and he used his communicator again.  
- I'm all done! Hurry up and get here!  
- Roger that. - Carmelita said.  
Back with our friends in the TUFF Mobile.  
- Dudley! Keep going straight till you see an open manhole, then get inside it! - Carmelita said. - Kitty, stop shooting, I'll deal with them right NOW! - She added as she threw a bunch of smoke bombs.  
The smoke bombs exploded and they covered the area, so the military vehicles had to stop or risk to crash against something. Carmelita smirked and sighed in relief.  
- I CAN'T SEE A THING! - Dudley yelled.  
- Lemme drive, I'll get us outta this smoke clud. - Kitty asked.  
Dudley got out of the driver's seat and Kitty took the wheel.  
- I really hate this kinds of situations. - Chief Barkley let out.  
- You'll get used to them, trust me, I'm speaking from experience. - The Chief said.  
Kitty drove through the smoke and when they were out of the cloud, the manhole was at just a few meters. Sly made some gestures to tell Kitty and the others to hurry up. Kitty accelerated and she managed to get into the manhole followed by Sly.  
Once Sly closed the manhole, the military vehicles came back and they passed over them without noticing them. Everyone sighed in relief, but Kitty went to Sly and she slapped him hard. Sly grunted and glared at Kitty.  
- Why the Hell did you slap me?! - Sly asked while rubbing his cheek.  
- It's all your fault, Cooper! - Kitty yelled.  
- It's not my freaking fault! I don't even know what the Hell is going on here!  
- Kitty, calm down, I'm sure ringtail is saying the truth. - Carmelita said.  
- Don't tell me what to do, you lousy, no-good cop! - Kitty replied.  
- Don't you dare to insult my wife or you'll regret it! - Sly warned.  
- Agent Katswell, stop this right now! - The Chief ordered.  
- You're not my boss anymore! You can't give me orders! - Kitty replied.  
- Everyone shut up! - Dudley yelled. - We're in this together, we're supposed to be helping each other, not trying kill each other!  
- Dudley is right, you two must stop blaming and threatening each other. - Barkley said.  
- I will never work with Sly Cooper. - Kitty said while folding her arms.  
- I would accept Clockwerk before agreed to accept Kitty Katswell in my gang. - Sly said while imitating Kitty.  
- Both of you should look at what you're alike, like the fact that both of you are really headstrong. - The Chief said.  
- I AM NOT LIKE HIM/HER! - Sly and Kitty yelled.  
- He's just a dirty, low life, stupid thief! - Kitty said.  
- And she's just a spinster agent! - Sly replied.  
- What did you call me, Cooper?!  
- You heard me, Katswell!  
- This is gonna get us nowhere. - Dudley sighed.  
- If you two don't shut up and begin getting along, I will personally shoot you with a MAC gun! - Carmelita warned.  
- I don't care about what you're gonna do, but I'm up for recruit my gang to solve this and clean my name, my wife's name, my boss' name and probably Dudley and the Chief's name too. - Sly let out. - Who's coming with me?  
- I will. - Carmelita said.  
- I have no other choice. - Barkley let out. - Count me in.  
- This could be fun! I'm in too! - Dudley said exitedly.  
- It looks like the only way to end this crazyness, so I will go too. - The Chief said.  
- You can't be serious! He's a criminal! We're supposed to fight them not join them! - Kitty snapped.  
- This wouldn't be the first time we worked with villains, you worked with Jack, and then there's the time that Snaptrap worked at TUFF with us. - Dudley said.  
- Besides, what are you gonna do to clean your name? - Sly asked. - Those guys were going to kill us, if it wasn't because of me and your partner, we would be dead by now.  
- I'm going to explain everything, I've never done anything bad in my entire life, and I won't ruin my record by working with a gang of thieves. - Kitty replied.  
- It's that or you get either killed or thrown into jail. - Sly said.  
- I will tell them that I'm not guilty.  
- (Sarcastic chuckle) You really think that they'd send those Spec-Ops if they didn't had the enough evidence to throw everyone of us into jail?  
- Besides, it's not that we're going to steal whatever museum, bank or anything that crosses our path. - Carmelita let out.  
- We'll just steal what we need and when we need it. - Sly said.  
- I won't. - Kitty said firmly.  
- C'mon Kitty, it's not like we'll join his gang forever. - Dudley said.  
- It's your choice, join us and you might get a chance to clean your record, or do this by yourself and risk getting caught or killed. - Sly said.  
- Argh! Fine then! - Kitty let out in defeat. - But don't get me wrong Cooper, I'm doing this to restore my name and TUFF's status as a crime-fighting organization.  
- Very well. - Sly smirked.  
- What do we do now? - Barkley asked.  
- We have to go and rescue Keswick, he stayed at the headquarter. - The Chief said.  
- No, we can't risk us doing that, we'll save him but first we need my old pals and the rest of my gang, maybe also some help from 7 Heroes. - Sly said. - Also we need equipment, without it we can't do anything.  
- We got the TUFF Mobile and 6 people here, we don't need anything else to get into TUFF headquarters. - Kitty replied.  
- If you want to die, then let's go. - Sly responded defiantly.  
- Have it your way then, Cooper.  
- Thanks, now, can this thing fly or something? - Sly asked while pointing at the TUFF Mobile.  
- It can fly. - Dudley said excitedly.  
- Ok, let's go to Holland, Penelope and Bentley should be at the old Black Baron's castle.  
The new and improvised gang hopped aboard the TUFF Mobile and Dudley sped off to Holland.  
"I just hope they haven't got to the before us." Sly thought worriedly. 


	2. The New Cooper Gang, part 1

Chapter 2.- The New Cooper Gang.

Part 1.- More enemies, more troubles, more members.

Things looked grim, Dudley, Sly, Carmelita, Kitty, Herbert and Barton were incriminated for a crime they haven't commited; and now two things were for sure: 1.- The rest of the Gang was in danger, and 2.- They needed to find a way to rescue Keswick from the TUFF Headquarters.  
Right now, they were flying over North Europe, to recruit two members of (as they began to call it) "the Old Cooper Gang", Bentley, the Brains of the Operation, and Penelope, the RC Specialist.  
- Do you think they'll help you? - Kitty asked.  
- Of course, Bentley, Murray and I have been life long friends since we met at the orphanage. - Sly replied with a tone of concern.  
- Why you look upset, Sly? - Carmelita asked worriedly.  
- You know I'm not blame of this, right?  
- We all know that, ringtail. - Herbert said.  
- Well, I'm beginning to think that this is all my fault.  
- You've always been a troublemaker, Cooper. - Kitty let out.  
- Kitty, for the love of everything that's sane and good, stop blaming my husband. - Carmelita asked.  
- Leave her Carm, she's right, if it weren't because of me, Bentley would't be in that wheelchair, the Rebellion would've never happened, and everyone would be better if I hadn't existed.  
- Look Sly, I didn't mean to... - Kitty tried to say.  
- I think you said enough, Katswell. - Carmelita cut.  
- Sly, maybe you're right, but you exist, so swallow up that idiotic thinkings and begin to think of a way to solve all this. If you're blame of this, you must solve this ASAP. - Dudley said.  
Everyone stared at Dudley in shock, as they have never thought he would say something like that. But our favorite thief wasn't surprised.  
- If you guys ask me why I'm not surprised is because I already got some experience with people that look like idiots, but they got their moments of intelligence. - Sly let out. - By the way, thanks but that didn't made me feel any better.  
- Just think of this way, ringtail: if you hadn't been born, I'd be like Kitty and I'd be just a spinster officer. And for Bentley and Murray, their lives would be boring without you. - Carmelita said.  
- And for us, we hadn't meet after so long if it weren't because of you. - Barton added as he pointed at Herbert.  
- Thank you guys, now I feel a bit better. - Sly said with a weak smile.  
- Guys, I think that we're lost. - Dudley said.  
- Why? - Kitty asked.  
- Because this "SPG" says that we're over a place called "Dnalloh".  
- Dudley... - Everyone said while clenching fists.  
- What?  
- YOU GOT THE GPS UPSIDE DOWN!  
- Oh, that clear things up. - Dudley turned the GPS and checked it correctly. - Oh, we're over Holland and a mile away form that Black Baron's castle.  
- Get ready, team, we might see some action there. - Sly said as he took his cane.  
- Who named you leader, Sly? - Kitty asked with a raised eyebrow.  
- Not for nothing this group is called the "Cooper Gang".  
Kitty growled and crossed her arms as Sly snickered.  
A few minutes later, the New Cooper Gang arrived to the castle, but what they found was nothing but ruble. Sly's heartbeating quickened and he jumped out of the TUFF Mobile. Carmelita tried to stop him, but he was faster than her.  
- Ringtail! - Carmelita yelled.  
Sly couldn't hear her wife, he was way too worried for Bentley and Penelope's safety.  
Sly landed on his feet and began to search his friends in the rubble.  
- BENTLEY! PENELOPE! WHERE ARE YOU? - Sly yelled as he moved tons and tons of rubble.  
The rest of his new gang got out of the TUFF Mobile and went with Sly to help him find his friends.  
- Sly?! Is that you? - A nasal voice asked.  
- Bentley?! - Sly replied as he and his new partners turned around.  
And there he was, the Brains of the Operation of the Old Cooper Gang, Bentley, he was a bit bruised and had an ice bag in his head but other than that he was ok.  
Sly went with Bentley and hugged him tightly, causing that Bentley dropped his ice bag.  
- I'm ok Sly, at least I was before you started crushing me. - Bentley said breathlessly.  
- Bentley, where's Penelope? - Sly asked.  
- She's fine, better than me at least, she went to bring help, but a better question is what are you doing with those TUFF agents? - Bentley replied.  
- How did you know that we're TUFF agents? - Herbert asked.  
- It's not that difficult to know, I investigated about every crime-fighting organization and their members.  
- What do you know about us? - Kitty asked.  
- Almost everything, especially about you, Kitty Katswell. - Bentley replied as he took his ice bag. - And it was thanks to someone that sent your diary to everyone in Petropolis.  
Kitty glared at Dudley and the latter shrugged and whimpered.  
- Anyway, what're you doing with them Sly? Are you joining them or what? - Bentley asked again.  
- It's actually the opposite to that, they're gonna join us. - Sly replied.  
- They are going to join Interpol?  
- No, they are going to join the Cooper Gang. - Carmelita corrected.  
- So it's true and we will have to reunite the gang. - A woman voice said.  
- Who are you? - Kitty asked.  
- My name is Penelope, now I ask who are you?  
- I'm Kitty Katswell, I'm an agent, well, was an agent.  
- We'll have enough time to presentations later, we have to go recruit Murray, the Guru, Panda King and even if I don't want to, Dimitri. - Sly snapped.  
- Do you even know where are they anyway? - Bentley asked.  
- I was hoping you had that information.  
Everyone groaned in dispair and glared at Sly.  
- Hey don't blame me! It's all fault of the writer! - Sly said.  
- Don't try to blame me, Cooper. - The writer replied. - And why the heck are you breaking the fourth wall?!  
- Ok, my bad. - Sly let out. - So, do you know where they are, Bentley?  
- Dimitri is in Paris, the Guru is still in New York, the Panda King still lives in the Kunlun Mountains and Murray is on Monaco, there's a race where Murray competes.  
- Ok, everyone to the TUFF Mobile, we got some work to do. - Sly said.

(Some hours later in Monaco)

Dudley was driving the TUFF Mobile, again, while the New Cooper Gang went to recruit the third member of the Original Cooper Gang, Murray, the brawn and getaway driver.  
- We should use some disguises. - Carmelita suggested.  
- We MUST use disguises, we're fugitives, remember? - Sly corrected.  
- And where are we going to get disguises, Cooper? - Kitty asked.  
- Sly has the hyper-cube, Jack used to have some disguises handy just in case he or anyone needed. - Bentley explained.  
- Exactly, now, what exactly is your choice for costume? - Sly asked as he pulled the bluish cube out of his backpack.  
Kitty took the cube in her hands and said:  
- How can this small cube carry six disguises for normal people?  
- It's kinda complicated to explain, it would take me nearly a month and many multisyllabic words. - Bentley replied.  
- Let's just say that it's magic, ok? - Penelope said.  
Kitty narrowed her eyes and shrugged. Sly took the cube and began selecting his disguise.  
Moments later, Dudley landed the TUFF Mobile near an autodrome. When the got out of the TUFF Mobile, Sly was wearing a beige long coat, a fake mustache, half-moon glasses and a white shirt; Bentley was wearing a tuxedo and a top hat; Penelope wore a lavender dress and black stilettos; Carmelita was using a white A-shirt and green pants; Dudley was wearing his "Tiffany-Rose-Ember-Heather" outfit (curiously); Kitty was wearing her "Vince" disguise; Herbert and Barton had to stay in the TUFF Mobile because Sly didn't had disguises of their sizes.  
- Ok guys, we must get into the autodrome, Murray is sure to be there. - Sly said.  
- Why your friend had to have a fearful name like that? - Dudley asked.  
- Right, Murray is a fearful name and now you'll tell me that you three like that "Quacky the Duck Show".  
- Umm... no? - Dudley, Kitty and Herbert said.  
- For the love of...! (Sigh) Whatever, just don't do something that might blow our cover.  
Sly, Bentley, Dudley, Penelope, Kitty and Carmelita began to walk towards the race track. Once they got inside, they had to buy some tickets to watch the race.  
- Why do we have to buy tickets?! I don't even like races! - Kitty complained.  
- Just shut up, Kastwell, we must do it because it's the only way to see Murray. - Sly replied.  
Carmelita sighed and grabbed Sly by his coat.  
- Sly, for the Cooper Vault's sake, be more gentle with Kitty... - Carmelita said while she pulled out her reliable shock pistol. - ...Or I'll fry you again!  
- I'll try, is that enough for you?  
- For now.  
The New Gang entered the race track and they took their respective seats.  
- Is your friend still using that old van? - Kitty asked as she pointed the Cooper Team Van.  
- That "old van" outran the TUFF Mobile in the past, and it still can do it, Katswell. - Sly replied.  
- We better stay sharp, otherwise a villain can attack and hurt Murray. - Bentley snapped.  
- Is a fan carrying a bazooka normal in this kind of events? - Dudley asked.  
- Absolutely no! - Sly replied as he, Penelope, Carmelita and Bentley pulled out their binocucoms.  
Bentley was the first to notice who the carrier of the bazooka was.  
- Neyla! - Bentley yelled.  
- Darn it! I thought I already killed her! - Carmelita said while she bared her teeth.  
- Looks like she's not alone either, Octavio, a moose and a duck are with her. - Penelope said.  
- Octavio? Wasn't he at jail? - Sly asked.  
- Muggshot and Raliegh are supossed to be at jail too, and Neyla is supossed to be dead. - Bentley replied.  
- Will you cut the chit-chat and get to work before they hurt anyone or are you going to wait till someone gets hurt? - Kitty asked sarcastically.  
Sly glared at Kitty, which was a big mistake because Neyla took this chance to shoot her bazooka at the track, almost hitting Murray's van. Sly startled and enraged, he gripped his cane tightly and mega-jumped to Neyla's position. Carmelita sighed and followed her husband while Kitty and Dudley evacuated the people, and while Bentley and Penelope went quickly to the Cooper Van.  
- NEYLA! - Sly yelled completely mad as he whacked his cane to the ground.  
Neyla, Octavio, the Sharing Moose and Quacky the Duck smirked as they saw Sly's reaction.  
- So Cooper, how are things at Interpol? I heard that you and your wife got fired. - Neyla mocked.  
- Don't you dare to mock of me, Neyla! The last time we fought, I won and Carmelita gave you the final blow, and this time won't be any different. - Sly said.  
- This time we're not working alone, you don't even know how many troubles you've got yourself into. - Octavio said.  
- I don't care, you know I ALWAYS win, my gang, some new friends that I'm sure you know very well, and I are going to solve this and give you a lesson in the mean time!  
- I wouldn't be so sure. - The Sharing Moose said as he tried to punch Sly.  
Sly wasn't going to be able to dodge the punch, but something stopped the fist right in front of Sly's face.  
- Get away from my friend... or the Murray will have to give you the beating of your life. - Murray said as he crushed the Sharing Moose's fist in his hand.  
- You stupid kid! You're trying to mess in our plans again! - Octavio said as he pointed Murray.  
- Yeah, we get into a lot of truble because of that. - Carmelita said.  
- I wish that we could stay any longer, but we're running outta time and we have a rendezvous very far away from here. - Neyla said.  
- You're going nowhere, Neyla. - Sly said firmly.  
The Sharing Moose tried to punch Murray but he dodged and returned the blow with twice the strength. Octavio rapidly lunged against Sly, only to be received by a powerful whack to the chin. Neyla used her whip to smack Carmelita in her cheek, which made her angry, so Carmelita started shooting at her left and right.  
- I better go away. - Quacky said.  
- You're going nowhere, Quacky! - Kitty shouted.  
Kitty knocked down Quacky with a graceful slip-kick, while Murray threw the Sharing Moose at Quacky, Sly whacked Octavio once more and Carmelita cornered Neyla with her shock pistol.  
- You have nowhere to run now, it's over. - Kitty said.  
- Now, tell us who the hell hired you and what's he or she planning to do. - Sly ordered while frowning.  
- Oh look at the time now, it's time to go! - Neyla said as she threw a few smoke bombs to the ground.  
The New Cooper Gang members had to cover their eyes, and during their blindness, Murray groaned in pain. Once everything had cleared out, they saw that Murray had a Power Inhibitor in his right arm. Sly and Carmelita went with Murray to check his arm.  
- Are you ok, Murray? - Carmelita asked.  
- (Groan) The Murray may be hurt, but that won't stop me from helping my friends. - Murray replied. - One question though, what is Kitty Katswell doing with you guys?  
- You know her? - Sly asked.  
- Yeah, I remember that no one has ever followed me the way she did, she is the most challenging driver I've ever met. - Murray said. - She's one of the toughest girls I've ever seen, aside from Carmelita, Parisa and Sally.  
- I'll take that as a compliment. - Kitty said.  
- So what are we going to do now? - Dudley asked.  
- Well, we should get back to the TUFF Mobile and go to Paris, Dimitri is the nearest member. - Penelope said.  
- Then let's get moving, we won't recruit him if we're just standing here. - Carmelita snapped.

(Later in Paris)

Now things have changed a bit, Murray was driving the van, which had Sly, Bentley, Carmelita, Penelope and Barton aboard, meanwhile Dudley, Kitty and Herbert were in the TUFF Mobile.  
- So it's not just Neyla, Octavio, that Sharing Moose and Quacky huh? - Murray said through a communicator.  
- Yes, Raliegh, the Stinkbug, Muggshot and the Chameleon are behind all this too. - Kitty said.  
- Then we'll have to be waiting for even more enemies, Octavio said that they weren't working alone. - Carmelita snapped.  
- Of course, were are we now? - Sly asked.  
- We're above your house, should we pass to take some gear for this mission? - Murray replied.  
- We should, I guess we should divide our team, Penelope, Herbert, Barton I will go for Dimitri, while Dudley, Carmelita, Kitty and Sly go to Sly's house for our gear. - Bentley said.  
- Ok, but how are we going to do that? You know I suck at driving and Murray won't let anyone but you drive his van. - Sly snapped.  
- Oh well, looks like we'll have to land and switch places so my part of the team will be in the van and Sly's part will be at the TUFF Mobile.  
Dudley and Murray landed the van and the TUFF Mobile, then Sly and Carmelita changed to the TUFF Mobile while Herbert and Barton went to the van.  
- We'll meet at Sly's house, good luck pals. - Bentley said as the van raised the flight again.  
- Ok, good luck to you too. - Sly replied.  
Dudley raised flight and sped off to Sly's house, completely unaware that they were heading to a trap. 


	3. The New Cooper Gang, part 2

Chapter 2.- The New Cooper Gang.

Part 2.- Jack Rabbit vs. Sly Cooper, the rematch.

Sly was angry, Dudley had passed his house by ten miles and they lost a lot of time in return to their destination. Our dear former TUFF agent was trying to apologize, but the master thief wouldn't forgave him.  
- I said that I'm sorry! - Dudley said for umpteenth time.  
- Why in the world did you pass my house by ten miles?! Murray said that we were right above it! - Sly replied angrily.  
- I was distracted!  
- You had the GPS!  
- It was upside down again!  
- Why?!  
- I don't know!  
- That won't give us back the time we lost in return to my home!  
- Will you two cut it off already?! I think that Kitty and I had listened to you complaining and trying to say sorry for far too long! - Carmelita snapped.  
- Not until time turns back! - Sly replied.  
- Cooper, for crying out loud, Dudley is stupid, he was meant to do such a thing. - Kitty explained.  
- I'm still wondering how is it that you haven't broken his neck. - Sly thought aloud.  
- Sly Alexander Cooper! - Carmelita scowled.  
- Don't use my full name!  
- Then don't make me angry!  
- And they claim to be husband and wife? - Kitty said under her breath.  
- I heard that, Katswell!  
Kitty snickered while the gang kept their way to Sly's house.  
After another five minutes (plus an hour) later, Sly, Dudley, Kitty and Carmelita got out of the TUFF Mobile and they get inside the Cooper household.  
- Wow, your house is actually nice. - Kitty let out.  
- I'll take it as a compliment, thanks. - Sly replied.  
- Where's the console to unlock the hidden stuff, ringtail? - Carmelita asked.  
- It's over there, behind the cabinet. And stop calling me ringtail!  
Carmelita chuckled and went to the cabinet, she moved it slightly and there it was, a small console with a numeric pad. She input the code and several pieces of furniture, like the sofa, the coffee table, a small bookshelf, turned and revealed many hidden things like ammo, guns, grenades, binocucoms, bio-foam cans, thieving gear and many more.  
- WOW! This stuff is really cool! Are you really going to give us this cool weapons? - Dudley asked in excitement.  
- Maybe, when this troubles are over we'll talk about it. - Sly replied of-factly. - Take anything you want.  
Dudley took a plasma grenade, which he immediately activated. Sly saw Dudley and he startled, he took the active grenade and threw it through the window. The grenade exploded and everyone glanced through the window to see the destructive power of such a small explosive.  
Sly took out a tape recorder, he turned it on and said:  
- Note to self, keep the grenades away from the Guru, Dimitri and Dudley. - Sly said. - And we must remember it too.  
- Agreed. - Kitty and Carmelita replied.  
Kitty went with Carmelita and they talked about all the gadgets, while Dudley just watched Sly while the master thief was taking all his thieving gear (His binocucom, smoke bombs, etc). Then Dudley saw something that caught his attention, a cilindric container that had some sort of silverish substance floating inside it, as if it wasn't affected by gravity. The former agent went to it and took it.  
- Hey guys, what's this thing? - Dudley asked with the container in his hands.  
Sly and Carmelita startled and tackled Dudley. Then, the raccoon took the container carefully and put it back in its shelf.  
- Why did you tackle Dudley? - Kitty asked.  
- That thing is antimatter. - Carmelita replied as she and Dudley got up.  
- And that thing does? - Kitty asked again.  
- It's a great source of clean energy, but it's EXTREMELY unstable. If that thing gets in contact with any kind of matter, even the air, they will annihilate each other in a big explosion that leaves no trace. - Sly answered.  
- Wow, I didn't think you'd know about something not related to robbery. - Kitty let out.  
- Me either, but I guess that it's right that you can't judge a book by its cover. - Sly replied while he threw Kitty a binocucom.  
Kitty caught the device and asked:  
- What's with you throwing me this?  
- You and the rest of your friends will need them, we use them to comunicate with each other. - Carmelita explained while she took a holster and a pistol.  
But then, completely out of nowhere, a yellow furred rabbit wearing a tuxedo broke another window, he knocked out Dudley with a flying kick and suffocated Kitty and Carmelita with two hard kicks to their stomaches. The rabbit then tried to punch Sly in the face, but he dodged and responded with a cane whack to the chin, then Sly punched the intruder square in the face. The rabbit backed away a few paces and finally glanced at Sly's eyes.  
- Jack Rabbit, "the greatest agent TUFF has ever seen", I knew that you would be behind this too. - Sly let out with a smirk.  
- How could you know, Cooper? - Jack asked.  
- Easy, my new friends here told me that you turned into a low-life criminal, and that you tried to drain Katswell's brain. So I came to the conclussion that if I am the only thief that could beat you at your own game, you'd help whoever is behind all this operation to have your revenge against me, Dudley and Katswell. It's such a shame, you're a disgrace to every respectable thief in the universe. - Sly replied nonchalantly.  
- You're right, Cooper, I've come for revenge, but also for that. - Jack replied while he pointed the Cooper family cane.  
- You want it? - Sly asked while he strapped his cane to his back. - Come and get it if you have the guts!  
Jack lunged at Sly again, to try to punch him in the face again but Sly dodged once again and punched Jack on the ribs. Rabbit grunted in pain and he kicked Sly on the stomach. Sly groaned and responded with another blow to the chin, which was responded by a punch in his left cheek. Sly and Jack backed away and they tried a roundhouse kick against each other. Their legs collided and they jumped backwards. They lunged against each other, Jack tried some sort of "Spear", but Sly evaded it with a jump, then he landed hard over Jack's back. Jack spun in the ground causing Sly to fall face-first on the ground. Jack tried to stomp Sly's head, but he rolled away and kicked Jack on his side. Sly and Jack stood up again and began to walk in circles, like two wolves about to kill each other. They were perfectly matched in ability.  
- C'mon Rabbit! Is that the best you got? - Sly asked as he wiped a drop of blood coming from his mouth.  
- You haven't seen anything yet, Cooper. - Jack said while he prepared one of his aces up his sleeve.  
And somehow, Jack threw a fireball at Sly, which left him somewhat confused, but he managed to dodge it just in the nick of time. Sly bared his teeth and glared at Jack, who was smirking.  
- You're not the only one that has new toys, Cooper, my new boss has just given me this. - Jack said as he showed Sly some kind of mechanic glove. - This is a fireball launcher, do you like it?  
- Nah, I rather to use electricity for my attacks. - Sly replied as a matter-of-factly.  
Jack smirked and he threw another fireball at Sly, this time he hit him. Jack seized the opportunity and he punched Sly twice in the chest and once in the face, then he grabbed him from his shirt with a fireball ready to strike the thief right in his face.  
- Any last words, Cooper? - Jack asked while he smirked evilly.  
- Yes, I'm not dying yet. - Sly said breathlessly while he pressed a button in his right glove.  
Sly's glove sparkled with electricity and he smirked before giving Jack a hard blow in his right cheek. Jack backed away again, only this time it was long enough to crash hard against a wall. Sly smirked as Jack reincorporated and glared at him.  
- What the hell was that?! - Jack asked angrily.  
- As you've already said, I have some new toys, like this baby. - Sly replied while he showed Jack his glove. - It's my first and only design, I called it "Electro-Glove". I thought it could be useful if I had my powers supressed by some device like the one in my chest.  
Jack growled, but then he smirked. Sly raised and eyebrow and said:  
- Why are you smiling? Shouldn't you be angry or something?  
- Of course I'm angry, you're really worthy of your reputation as a thief. - Jack replied of-factly.  
- Normally I'd be flattered about someone saying that about me, but since I hate you to no end...  
- The feeling is mutual, Cooper. You're nothing but a pest in this world.  
- I'm a pest? Since when the people that risks everything for those who they love are pests?  
- Since you ruined so many people's hard work.  
- Hard work? All the criminals stopped by the Cooper Gang were nothing but idiots trying to get riches and power by hurting innocent people. I've faced a lot of bad men and women in my life, from killers to gangsters, and I must admit that your kind is the worst: The traitorous back-stabbing cowards.  
- Oh really? Then I'm sure you must know these guys' kind too. - Jack said.  
Sly smirked at the poor attempt to catch him of guard, so he simply crouched to avoid a blast from behind, he double-jumped to avoid a punch and crouched backwards (at Matrix's style) to avoid a kick.  
- Do you really think that only because I'm facing you I wouldn't notice other three intruders get into my house? - Sly asked sarcastically. - And you're even less respectable than you were when we began our rematch, bringing three of your new "friends" to help you win. Hmph, I've faced some trickster criminals in my life, but you just won the prize to the biggest scum bag I've ever faced.  
- And you're still the same ignorant child playing dressed up in his father's legacy. - Said a known female voice.  
- So it's not only Jack Rabbit, Dr. Rabies and Madame Catastrophe, but you came too, Contessa. - Sly said with a smirk. - Four versus one, those are some grim odds... for you.  
- Seriously Cooper? What makes you think that? - Madame Catastrophe asked.  
- Well, the fact that it'll take you more than four opponents like you to take me down.  
- What about eleven opponents like us. - Dr. Rabies said as he pointed somewhere behind Sly.  
- Whuh? - Sly said as he turned his back.  
- Hello Cooper. - Muggshot said with a sadistic smirk.  
Muggshot punched Sly and the latter went flying across the room to crash hard against a wall. Sly spat a tooth and some blood, he tried to reincorporate, only to meet another villain's face.  
- Long time no see, Cooper. - Neyla said.  
- You witch!  
Neyla kicked Sly, and she must have had some sort of device in her foot, because with one kick she had sent him flying across the room again. Our dear thief crashed against another wall, while he was killing time for a very unexpected and improvised plan.  
Sly reincorporated and he found another villain.  
- So you're Sly Cooper huh? - Birdbrain said.  
- Who the heck are you? - Sly asked a bit dazed.  
Birdbrain shot at Sly with some sort of sonic cannon, and once again he flew across the room to meet another intruder.  
- Did you miss me, Cooper? - Said Tsao.  
- Hi Tsao... - Sly said breathlessly.  
Tsao shot an energy ball against Sly, and he ended up crashing over the coffee table.  
The Chameleon, Rajan and Raliegh appeared from the shadows and joined the other villains with wide smirks.  
- This is the end for you, Cooper. - Jack Rabbit said as he and his partners surrounded Sly.  
Sly chuckled. His plan had worked to perfection.  
- Why are you smiling you idiot, this is your end. - The Contessa said.  
- Because... you're so stupid... - Sly said while he kept chuckling. - Did... you really... thought that if I... knew about Rabies, Catastrophe and the Contessa... I wouldn't knew about the rest of you?  
- What are you talking about? - Raliegh asked.  
- It's simple... I just needed to kill time...  
- For what? - Neyla asked.  
- For the backup to arrive...  
- THUNDER FLOP! - Someone roared.  
Sly rapidly got up and ran somewhere near the front door, while a pink hippo broke down the second floor and the roof of his house with a powerful belly flop, being followed by the rest of the gang.  
The villains covered their eyes as a cloud of smoke rose and when everything had cleared, they saw Murray, Bentley, Herbert, Barton, Penelope, the Guru and Dimitri right in front of them, along with Dudley, Carmelita, Kitty and a surprisingly recovered Sly.  
- What?! But you were just about to die! - Jack said completely confused when he saw Sly.  
- Well, when you're doing this since a long time ago, you begin to carry some special equipment, like this little beans here. - Sly said with a wide smirk while holding a bag. - These little seeds heal anyone who eats them.  
- You Cooper Gang! You've been nothing but pests since... - Raliegh tried to say.  
- Yeah, yeah, I know, "we ruined your 'hard work' and your whole lives". - Sly said sarcastically. - I now see why you're all working on the same team, you're all bad losers.  
All the villains growled at Sly's commentary, but Neyla chuckled.  
- Let's see it from the best side, they saved us the work of finding them, now we can finish them all at once. - Neyla said.  
- And we'll get what we came for, the Cooper family cane. - Dr. Rabies said.  
- (Sigh) I already said that if you want my cane, you will have to snatch it from my cold dead hand! - Sly yelled as he and the gang got in combat stance.  
- That's easy to settle, ringtail. - Jack snarled while smirking.  
The villains and the Cooper gang glared at each other, walking in circles. No one dared to make the first move. Or so the villains thought.  
Sly feral-pounced against Neyla, he kicked her but the Contessa responded enveloping him with her cobweb. Kitty cut the cobweb but Jack punched her. Carmelita shot at Jack, and Birdbrain shot at Carmelita. Bentley used his wheelchair's robotic arms and grabbed Raliegh to throw him against Birdbrain. The Chameleon enveloped Bentley and he threw him against Sly and Kitty, who were fighting with Neyla and Dr. Rabies respectively. Penelope jumped and punched the Cameleon on the face as hard as she could. Dimitri tried to use his tail to hit Tsao, but the latter shot him another energy ball. Then, the Guru took possesion over Tsao's mind and he shot two energy balls at Rajan. Madame Catastrophe clawed Murray in the chest and then she climbed over him. Barton took Catastrophe and threw her to the ground, but Neyla caught him and she shocked him with her whip.  
The Gang and the villains separated and looked into each other's eyes.  
- (Gasps) You're all one heck of a fight. - Murray let out.  
- But we have to leave. - Sly said with a smirk. - But fear not, we will meet you again, sooner than you think.  
Sly cast a glance at his gang, they nodded and everyone threw a smoke bomb.  
- Run! Everybody to the TUFF Mobile and the van! - Sly yelled.  
The Cooper Gang members ran to the mentioned vehicles while they carried some boxes with their gear, while the villains coughed and tried to clear the area.  
- Get that cane! After them! - Jack Rabbit yelled once the smoke had cleared out.  
Murray and Kitty got into the driver's seats of both the Van and the TUFF Mobile. Once every member of the Cooper Gang was inside both vehicles, they sped off at max.  
Unfortunately, the Gang wasn't the only one to have vehicles. Three black cars chased after them, while some of the villains fired their blasters and guns at the Gang's vehicles.  
- We won't hold out for long if they keep shooting at us! - Murray said.  
- We must return the fire and now! - Kitty snapped.  
- Murray, open the back doors and unlock the turret! I'll shoot, you drive! - Sly ordered.  
Murray pressed a button on the wheel and the van's roof opened and revealed a turret. While Sly climbed to the turret, Carmelita and Bentley opened the back doors of the van and started shooting at the three vehicles chasing them.  
- We'll need some help! - Dudley yelled.  
- Hold on, pal! I got an idea! - Carmelita said while she reloaded her shock pistol.  
Carmelita gave her shock pistol to Penelope, who startled when she took the weapon in her hands.  
- You know I can't use this, Carmelita! - Penelope snapped.  
- Just try it! I just need two minutes. - Carmelita replied while she went to a box.  
The vixen opened the box and took out two battle rifles, she switched them to their stunning mode and loaded them. Then, she turned to Murray.  
- Murray, I need you to draw us close to the TUFF Mobile! - Carmelita said. - Dimitri, get your lazy butt out of the passenger's seat and do something!  
- I'm on it! - Murray said.  
- We're all gonna die! It's so un-cool! - Dimitri cried.  
Carmelita took Dimitri by his jacket and pulled him out of the passenger's seat, she sat down and opened slightly the door.  
- Kitty, get closer to the van! I'm gonna give you some weapons! - Carmelita yelled.  
- I hope you know what you're doing, Carm! - Kitty yelled back.  
Meanwhile, Sly, Barton, the Chief, Bentley and Penelope were shooting back at the villains, but they needed some serious help if they ever hoped to stop their opponents.  
- This is hopeless! - Bentley cried.  
- Shut up and keep shooting, Bentley! - Sly ordered.  
- You can't escape this time, Cooper! - Jack Rabbit yelled.  
- Sorry, pal! I can't hear you, we're already getting away! - Sly shouted with a mocking tone.  
Jack snarled and cursed under his breath while Sly snickered.  
While Sly mocked of Jack, Carmelita was trying to give Dudley one of the battle rifles she had took of the box.  
- Get me closer Murray! - Carmelita said.  
- Just a bit closer Kitty! - Dudley said.  
Both drivers got their vehicles closer and Dudley finally took the battle rifle.  
- Try not to switch it from stun to kill! - Carmelita said as she closed the door of the van.  
- Got it! - Dudley replied while he and Carmelita began shooting.  
Meanwhile at the villains' vehicles. Dr. Rabies, Neyla and Birdbrain were driving while the rest blasted and fired at the Cooper Gang.  
- They must not get away! Not until we get the cane! - Madame Catastrophe said.  
- They will not get away, not if I can help it! - Jack said while he pulled out a bazooka.  
Sly saw that and he shouted:  
- Bentley, we need the Hell Rider Cannon!  
- What's a Hell Rider Cannon? - Dudley, Herbert, Kitty and Barton asked.  
- Possibly the most powerful weapon of the universe. - Bentley replied while he pulled out a bluish cube.  
Our dear turtle pulled out a massive cannon from the comparatively diminute cube.  
- C'mon, you foolish rabbit, try to hit us with your best shot. - Bentley muttered while he put the cannon over his shoulder and the scope in front of his glasses.  
Jack shot the bazooka, and Bentley shot his Hell Rider cannon. Both shots collided mid-air and they sent a shock wave that stunned both the Gang and the villains.  
Murray looked back at his comrades, he was the only one in both teams who wasn't affected by the shock wave. He frowned and said through his ear piece:  
- Kitty, I think it's time to kick it up a notch.  
Kitty shaked her head and nodded at Murray, then the cat and the hippo pressed a button on their wheel and the Gang's vehicles switched to their flying mode.  
The villains watched as the van and the TUFF Mobile went flying. They growled and stopped their vehicles.  
- This is just the beginning, Cooper! Don't think this is over yet! - Jack shouted at the grinning raccoon.  
Meanwhile, Sly and the others could finally take a break. They had won their first official encounter against the unnamed criminal association. Now they could think of a way to free Keswick from the TUFF HQ. Everyone let out a loud sigh and sat down to relax a bit.  
- Well, that went just as I planned it. - Sly let out.  
- I can't believe that you can endure so much damage without passing out. - Kitty said.  
- He has a lot of experience in getting pounded mercilessly without dying, don't worry about him. - Carmelita said nonchalantly.  
- So, can we go for Keswick now? I think that we have enough gear and people to do it. - Herbert said.  
- We still have to recruit one last member. - Penelope said.  
- Actually, I was thinking that we will need other two specialists. - Bentley said.  
- Which kind of specialists, Bentley? - Murray asked.  
- A technology specialist and a magic specialist.  
- So, who are your candidates this time, Bentley? - Sly asked.  
- If I remember well, they said that Keswick is their genius, so he'll be perfect for the job. On the other hand, you will not like my candidate.  
- Who is your candidate? - Kitty asked.  
- (Sigh) The old member of the Fiendish Five... Mz. Ruby.  
Sly was completely shocked when he heard the name.  
- Mz. Ruby?! She was one of the five persons that killed Sly's parents! - Carmelita snapped at Bentley.  
- I know, but maybe we can convince her like we did with the Panda King. - Bentley replied nervously.  
- So you're planning on hiring a murderer for our team?! - Kitty yelled.  
- I... I think I agree with Bentley... - Sly let out. - Think of it this way, the villains we're going to face will be a lot more than us, the more help we can get, the better.  
- But what if she doesn't want to help us? What if she's already been recruited by the unnamed villain association? - Dudley asked.  
- I don't think they did so, my paranormal scanners detect exactly the same reading than when we went to Tahiti for the first time. - Bentley responded while he checked his scanners.  
- So, are you really sure that you want to go and try to convince Mz. Ruby too? - Carmelita asked to her husband.  
- 100% sure. - Sly replied hesitantly.  
No one was sure if Sly was telling the truth or if he was lying about trusting an old enemy, but they shrugged it off and set a course to China, to recruit the last member of the Old Cooper Gang, the Panda King. 


	4. The fall of the King

Chapter 3.- The fall of the King.

- Are we there yet? - Herbert asked.  
- Almost, we're at least other 4 miles away from the Panda King's house. - Kitty replied.  
- We should have a plan, in case of another attempt of ambush. - Bentley said.  
- What about this one: If we find any villains, we just crack their skulls! - Murray said excitedly.  
- I agree. - Sly said while raising a hand.  
- Me too. - Carmelita said.  
- I'll help! - Dudley said excitedly.  
- Guys, we need something less agressive and more tactical. - Penelope snapped at Murray.  
- Then, what have you guys thought? - Barton asked.  
- That we should split the team in two again. Herbert, Dimitri, the Guru and you should stay here, while the rest of the team goes for the Panda King. - Bentley replied.  
- Can't you guys make any plan that doesn't involve splitting the team? - Kitty asked.  
- Can't you just do what they say and stay quiet? - Sly asked in reply.  
- Can't you two just get along before I decide to fry you? - Carmelita asked threateningly.  
The Guru spoke in his strange language, which made everyone but Kitty nod in understand.  
- I guess you're right, Guru. - Sly let out.  
- He always know just what to say. - Bentley added.  
- Did you understand him?! - Kitty asked shocked.  
- Why you ask? Can't you understand him? - Carmelita replied.  
- No! He just said nonsense!  
The Guru frowned and said something again.  
- Maybe, she really looks like she needs to calm down more often. - Murray let out.  
- She does, Kitty may be the best agent ever, but she can't dance, have fun or relax. - Dudley added.  
- What are you talking about? - Kitty asked.  
- Kitty, even Dudley, Barton and I understand what the Guru says. - Herbert said. - And he says that you can't understand because you're under constant stress and you haven't found your spiritual center or something like that.  
- Maybe you should loosen up a bit, Katswell, you should go out more often, or hang out with me and my pals. - Sly said nonchalantly.  
- Heck no! When all this ends, I never want to see you or your friends, Cooper. - Kitty replied.  
- (Sigh) Man, if the bad guys don't kill them, someone on the team will do it. - Everyone else muttered.  
Murray glanced at the GPS and said:  
- Hey Kitty, we're close to the Panda King's house, we should begin our descent.  
Kitty nodded and both vehicles began descentting. After a few minutes, they finally saw the Panda King's house... or at least what was left of it.  
Once the TUFF Mobile and the van touched the ground, the members of the New Cooper Gang jumped out of them and began searching for any signs of the Panda King or his daughter, Jing King.  
- Panda King! Are you here? - Bentley shouted.  
- I-I think we're too late... - Sly said with sorrow.  
- GO AWAY! I WILL NOT LET YOU HURT MY FATHER AGAIN! - A girl screamed.  
And right after the scream, a bunch of fireworks almost struck the Gang. They all took out their weapons and went to where the fireworks had come. Everyone was startled and ready for combat, but they put away their weapons once they noted that the girl that screamed was no one else than Jing King, and they saw that she was crying over his father's motionless body.  
Sly, Carmelita, Bentley, Murray, Dudley and Kitty kneeled beside Jing King and Sly tried to pat her on the shoulder.  
- Jing King, what happened here? - Sly asked worriedly.  
- Three villains came here; they wanted my father to join them to destroy you. He denied the proposal and they attacked him. He fought with everything he had but they overwhelmed him. - Jing said with tears in her eyes.  
- Who were those villains? - Kitty asked while she patted Jing.  
- I did not know them; they were a strange fish with a cape, a black widow and a tiger. - Jing replied.  
- The caped cod! - Dudley yelled.  
- Rajan. - Murray said while clenching fists.  
- The Contessa. - Sly and Carmelita said while frowning.  
Sly glanced at the Panda King and he saw that he was still breathing, but they needed to take him to a hospital if they wanted to save his life.  
- Murray, Dudley, help me carry the Panda King to the van, we have to take him to a hospital. - Sly said while he stood up.  
Murray and Dudley nodded and helped Sly carry the Panda King to the van, carefully. Once the Panda King was inside the van, everyone shared worried glances with each other. Jing King was crying over Murray's shoulder, when she saw that no one was doing anything, she enraged and yelled:  
- What are you waiting?! We have to take my father to a hospital!  
- The problem is that we're now fugitives, we've been incriminated and we're trying to solve all this. - Kitty explained.  
- We're now trying to think of a way to take your father to a hospital without getting caught, otherwise everything will be doomed. - Herbert added.  
- We should use a disguise, that s the fastest way. - Sly said.  
- Then it's settled, let's go to a hospital, we still have to save Keswick and recruit Mz. Ruby. - Carmelita said.

(Some time later)

We now see that our friends are inside a hospital, they were waiting to hear notices about Panda King's health, and they hoped to hear good news after all the problems they had faced. After waiting for nearly thirty minutes, a doctor came.  
- Are you here for Panda King? - The doctor asked to the disguised gang.  
- Yes, I am his daughter, how is my father? Is he ok? - Jing asked worriedly.  
- He's gonna be alright, although he needs to stay at least a few days to heal properly.  
- Can we see him? - Sly asked.  
- No, I'm afraid you can't, he's in a pretty bad condition.  
- Well, thanks for telling us the good news. At least he's going to be alright. - Kitty said.  
The doctor left and once he was gone, Jing wiped the tears in her eyes and went to Sly. The rest of the gang saw that Jing's glance, which normally was kind and warm, was now clouded by anger and sadness. Sly thought that Jing would slap him, so he closed his eyes and waited for the slap to come. However, it never came. Everyone thought the same that Sly did, but Jing spoke instead of slapping the thief.  
- I want to join your gang. - Jing said.  
- What?! - The gang said.  
- I want to help you find the criminals that have incriminated you and that hurt my father. - Jing explained.  
- We... we can't, you're too young. - Barton said.  
- But you need a demolitions expert, my father taught me some about fireworks, just in case, that is why I almost attacked you when you found me.  
- But Panda King will never forgive us if we let you join us. - Murray replied.  
- Either you let me join you, or I will go after the villains that injured my father by myself.  
- (Sigh) Looks like we have no other choices, at least if we let her join us we can watch over her and make sure she won't get hurt. - Dudley said.  
- Then, will you let me join you?  
- Yes, we don't want you to get hurt, but first you must stop wanting to seek revenge, nothing good comes when someone looks for revenge. - Carmelita said.  
- I-I will try.  
- What do we do now? - Dimitri asked.  
- We must go to Haiti, and then we'll try to rescue that Keswick guy which Kitty keeps reminding us of. - Bentley explained.  
- Why are we going to Haiti? - Jing asked.  
- We're going to need a magical specialist, and we're going to recruit Mz. Ruby for the job. - Penelope responded.  
- I think I can convince her to join us, she knew me when I was younger.  
The gang nodded and they silently left the building.

(Some more time later)

The Gang's vehicles were flying above the swamp were Mz. Ruby had hidden the Thievius Raccoonus pages, just before Sly came to reclaim them.  
- We're here, and knowing Mz. Ruby, I'm sure she already knows we're here too. - Sly said.  
- So this Ruby girl is some kind of witch? - Dudley asked.  
- Not exactly, she uses voodoo as her source of power. - Carmelita explained.  
- Anyway, the swamp is way too dangerous for everyone, except for me, I've been here before. - Sly said. - We must be very careful, we don't need any more troubles than the ones we already have.  
- And how are we going to get through this filthy, unsanitary, moldy and bacteria-filled environment? - Bentley asked.  
- We'll land over the center of the swamp, the way up to Mz Ruby's Skull Temple is easier from there. - Murray explained.  
- And how are we going to convince her to join the Gang? I mean, she hates four of us. - Barton asked.  
- But she likes me, she was like an aunt to me when I was younger. - Jing answered.  
- Maybe we can convince her if Cooper, Carmelita, Bentley and Murray stay here. - Herbert let out.  
- No, the sooner she knows what she's joining, the better. Otherwise she'd try to destroy me, my pals and my wife when she sees us. - Sly explained.  
- We're here, let's get to the Skull Temple and pray to get out of here alive and in one piece. - Bentley said.  
Once the vehicles touched the ground, everyone got out and stretched because of the long way they had travelled to get from China to Haiti. Then they followed Sly to the Voodoo Egg Beater (Evil says: Play "Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus" in the level "Vicious Voodoo" to know what I'm talking about). But there was one big trouble, how could they get to the cauldron in the center of the Egg Beater?  
- How do we get to the Skull Temple from here? - Herbert asked.  
- We need to get to that cauldron, if we stand on its lid, the pressure will build up and it'll shoot us right at the mouth of the Skull Temple. - Bentley explained. - The problem here is to figure a way to get the whole team there.  
Murray sighed, he went back to the center of the swamp and used an old drum over there as a trampouline, then he used his "Ball form" and bounced to the Egg Beater, he made it to the cauldron and yelled:  
- I'm waiting for ya, buddies!  
Bentley was speechless, so Herbert and Barton found their own way to the cauldron. They used the same drum that Murray had used and they reached some kind of second floor. From there they just walked a bit and jumped on one of the rotating platforms of the Egg Beater. They jumped aside Murray and smirked.  
Jing, the Guru and Penelope imitated Barton and Herbert, and they got there without any problem. While Dudley and Carmelita mega-jumped to the cauldron. Dimitri just went back to the van. In the end, there were just Kitty, Sly and Bentley, the latter still speechless.  
Sly and Kitty shared a defiant glance and the raccoon spoke:  
- So, have you found your way?  
- Yes, and you? - Kitty replied.  
- Before we arrived here I already knew my way.  
Sly and Kitty jumped over the vine surrounding the Egg Beater and ran to the second floor, then they jumped and joined the rest of the gang.  
- Hey Bentley! Snap out of it, we don't have much time! - Dudley yelled at the still frozen turtle.  
Bentley shook his head and nodded, then he used his wheelchair's afterburner to jump to the cauldron. Once the Gang was gathered, except for Dimitri, they now faced another trouble: the cauldron lid wouldn't be able to launch them all to the Skull Temple at the same time.  
- So, how do we get there without anyone falling into the swamp? - Jing asked.  
- Maybe I can use my Pick-Pocket-Pole to grab the lid once it shoots a part of the team, but I'm gonna need Murray or Dudley to help me throw the magnet and grab the lid. - Bentley explained.  
- You should stay with Murray, I'm gonna need two mega-jumpers and another infiltrator if I want to get to Mz. Ruby. - Sly said.  
- Why? - Kitty asked.  
- Because I needed to use my Ninja Spire Landing move to get to her when I came to claim the Thievius Raccoonus pages.  
- What's the "Thingus Raccamagoocus"? - Dudley asked.  
- No time to explain, Dudley, we want to save Keswick as soon as possible. - Herbert snapped at the mutt.  
Everyone nodded and Sly asked:  
- So, who goes first?  
- You, Carmelita, Dudley and Kitty; then Penelope, Jing, the Guru, Barton and Herbert; Murray and me will go at last. - Bentley replied.  
- Ok, just make sure none of you fall on the swamp. - Carmelita said.  
- Why did you have to say that? - Penelope wondered aloud.  
The former law inforcements stood upon the lid, it began to shake as pressure began to build up. Seconds later, they were flying towards the Skull Temple, with Dudley yelling in terror.  
After a short fly, the thief, the agents and the cop landed on what looked like a molar.  
- Ick! This place is gross and smells bad! - Dudley complained while he pinched his nose.  
- It smells even worse than the first time I came here! - Sly added while he pinched his nose.  
- Just shut up and let's find that Ruby girl so we can get out of here soon. - Kitty said while she and Carmelita imitated Dudley and Sly.  
Sly double-jumped and landed gracefully in something that looked like a fang, while Dudley and Carmelita jumped to the next molar, and while Kitty stood still, not knowing how to cross.  
Sly glanced behind him and saw Kitty just standing over the first molar in the Skull Temple, he turned and said:  
- Hey Kitty! What's the matter?  
- I... I don't know how to get across this. - Kitty replied.  
- Try using the Ninja Spire Landing.  
- What?  
- Hold on a sec, I'm gonna show you. - Sly said before jumping to the molar.  
Sly landed in front of Kitty, which made both blush, and made Dudley and Carmelita growl under their breaths.  
- Ok, just watch me and try to do what I do. - Sly said as he turned his back and used the Ninja Spire Landing again.  
Sly jumped again and landed beside Carmelita, who was still growling.  
- Ok, now you try it. - The thief said.  
- I can't do it! - Kitty replied.  
- Yes you can. I said that I am better than you at everything, prove me wrong, Kitty.  
Kitty gulped, while the others were giving her support words. She sighed, closed her eyes and hoped to do just what SLy had done.  
She double-jumped and imitated Sly's master thief move at perfection. Dudley, Carmelita and Sly cheered and Kitty opened her eyes.  
- I... I made it? - Kitty said questioningly.  
- Yes, you did it! - Dudley cheered.  
Kitty smiled and jumped to the next molar. The former law inforcements shared a group hug and continued their way.  
After a few more fangs and molars, they finally got inside the Skull Temple, but Mz. Ruby was still nowhere to be seen.  
- Where could she be? - Carmelita asked aloud.  
- Hmmm... I could feel that Cooper vibe coming, still the same most distastefully bad juju. - A woman said.  
- There she is. - Dudley pointed at the upper level of the Skull Temple.  
The Cooper Gang members tried to figure a way to get to Mz. Ruby, but Sly remembered something really important.  
- Mz. Ruby, we're not here to fight, we came here to talk. Please, I just want to talk. - Sly said.  
- Why'd I talk to you? You just didn't come here to beat the stuffing outta me but you also help Inspector Fox catch me and throw me into jail.  
- I know that you hate them and all, but we can work out a deal. - Kitty said.  
- What kind of deal, you group of thieves?  
- We're trying to clean our names and stop an unnamed criminal organization, and for that we need your abilities. - Carmelita explained.  
- You're offering me to join ya?  
- Exactly. - Dudley replied.  
- Why'd ya think I'd help ya?  
- She will join us instead, and help us wipe out the Cooper family and his pathetic gang. - Someone else said.  
- Get the hell out of my swamp or I'll make ya do it. - Mz. Ruby hissed.  
- Your simple voodoo magic is powerless against the Black Arts of the Family Tsao, you cannot hurt me. - Tsao replied.  
- How dare ya?! Ya'll pay for your disrespect towards the voodoo arts! Mz. Ruby shouted while she summoned many ghosts.  
Tsao chuckled and raised his hand while he let out a battle roar (Which sounded more like a battle cluck). Then, many vampires surrounded not only Mz. Ruby and her ghosts, but also Sly, Dudley, Kitty and Carmelita.  
- Either you join us, or you'll be exterminated along with the mutt, the vixen, the cat and Sly Cooper. - Tsao warned.  
- Get the hell away from this place if you know what's best for you, Tsao! - Sly yelled.  
- I'll teach you not to mess with a voodoo mistress like myself! - Mz. Ruby snarled.  
Mz. Ruby sent all her summoned ghosts againsts Tsao's hopping vampires, and while the formers were a lot more, the latters were stronger. But there were four persons in the middle of the fight between ghosts and vampires; Dudley, Sly, Kitty and Carmelita were helping Mz. Ruby's ghosts fight the hopping vampires, but they had to do it at a distance, so the explosion caused by the vampires wouldn't hurt them.  
"Why're they helping me? Or're they just fighing because they're in the middle?" Mz. Ruby wondered while she kept summoning ghosts.  
"Is it just me, or Mz. Ruby is somewhat helping keep this hopping vampires away from us?" Sly asked himself while he kept shooting his M10D.  
- Hey Tsao! - A girl yelled. - Taste a little repercution by what you did to me and my father!  
The girl was Jing King, and when she finished her mock, she shot a bunch of fireworks at Tsao, breaking his concentration on his hopping vampire summoning spell. Tsao fell to the water in the Skull Temple, where he was blasted away by Herbert and Barton.  
- CURSE YOU, COOPER GANG! - Tsao yelled as he fell from the Skull Temple.  
All the members of the Cooper Gang smiled and they saw that the remaining vampires explode. Then they glanced at Mz. Ruby, who was a bit tired for summoning all those ghosts. Sly and Kitty walked to her and the thief spoke:  
- Look, I want this as much as you, but the only way we're both going to succeed is by joining forces.  
- I know that, Cooper, and even though all ya five had done to me, I'm gonna help ya. - Mz. Ruby replied. - Besides, I'm gonna teach that clucking bird a lesson 'bout who's the master in the dark arts.  
- Why did Mz. Ruby say five if only four of us did something against her? - Bentley asked to the rest of the gang.  
- I don't know, maybe there's something those two are hiding from us. - Carmelita answered.  
The rest of the Gang looked questioningly at Sly and Kitty while they shaked hands with Mz. Ruby.  
Sly, Kitty and Mz. Ruby soon joined the rest of the team with smiles.  
- So, what's next? - Murray asked.  
- Time for a rescue, we have all the people we needed, now it's time to go to Petropolis and rescue Keswick. - Kitty said.  
The gang nodded and headed back to the van and the TUFF Mobile. Once they reached the metioned vehicles, Kitty, Sly, Carmelita and Penelope blasted Dimitri and then everyone got inside and plotted a course to Petropolis, to TUFF Headquarters. 


	5. Operation: TUFF Work, part 1

Chapter 4.- Operation: TUFF work.

Part 1.- A new criminal.

We're now underground, all the villains defeated by both TUFF and the Cooper Gang are gathered and having some kind of meeting about their recent failures at getting the Cooper Family cane.  
- I can't even believe it, we're supposed to be winning! - Dr. Rabies said.  
- Cooper is either too smart, or too lucky. - Neyla said.  
- Cooper is not smart, he's just a lucky idiot. - The Contessa corrected.  
- Added to the fact that also his friends are lucky. - The Chameleon added.  
- I'm truly dissapointed about all of you. I was expecting that we had the cane already. - Someone said from the shadows.  
- If my memory don't fails me, I'm sure that not even you have defeated Cooper or his stupid gang. - Jack Rabbit replied.  
- Yes, but you said that you're better than TUFF and the Cooper Gang. - Said the same hidden person. - I've been giving all of you everything you need, and yet, the New Cooper Gang has won every encounter so far.  
- Maybe if you'd helped us out there instead of being stuck here we would have defeated the Cooper Gang! - Rajan said.  
- Or maybe is because your incompetence and stupidity keeps all of you away from achieving your goals. - Someone with a markable english accent said.  
- Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?! - Madame Catastrophe said while everyone pulled out a blaster and pointed at the intruder.  
- Oh, where are my manners. - Said the intruder while he stepped out of the shadows.  
The intruder was a raccoon, he looked a lot like Sly, but he had a scar over his right eye, his teeth were somewhat sharp and the irises of his eyes were red, almost like blood. He was wearing a red ripped vest, a black belt with a buckle that resembled the Cooper Family symbol, but it was red instead of blue, black fingerless gloves and he had a dagger in his right hand.  
- Let me introduce myself. - The intruder said with a charming but terrifying english accent. - My name is McCullen, Lancelot McCullen. - The raccoon said while bowing.  
- What do you want? - Raliegh asked.  
- I just passed by and I heard that you mentioned someone called "Cooper", am I wrong?  
- Yes, what with that? - Neyla replied.  
- Well, I've come to offer you my services.  
- To do what? - Asked the hidden person.  
- Capture and defeat the Cooper Gang.  
- And how are you gonna do such a thing? - Asked Snaptrap.  
- Easy, I'm not a common criminal, I'm a highly trained assassin.  
- And that means? - Asked everyone but the hidden criminal.  
- That means that he can outmatch Sly's abilities with ease. - Said the hidden criminal.  
- I can do the same! - Jack and Neyla yelled.  
- I highly doubt it, you certainly showed that Cooper can beat you even with his hands tied to his back. - McCullen said with an evil smirk.  
- Why you! - Jack growled while he clenched his fists and teeth.  
- So now McCullen, what do you want in exchange of getting rid of the Cooper Gang? - Asked the hidden criminal stopping Jack from saying anything else.  
- The same thing everyone else here wants, a part of the Cooper Vault.  
- What makes you think you can just come in here and ask for such a thing? - Dr Rabies asked.  
- Because you're in a predicament, I can easily tell that you want Sly Cooper and his gang out of the game as soon as possible. I can take them out in no time, only if you agree to my price of course.  
- I say no. - Raliegh said.  
- The same here. - Rajan added.  
- My vote goes for no. - Madame Catastrophe said.  
- Yes, I mean no. - Snaptrap said.  
- I don't care about what you want or not, we all agreed that both TUFF and the Cooper Gang were the only menaces to us and this assassin is maybe exactly the thing we need to destroy Cooper and his new gang. - The hidden criminal said. - I want the Cooper Gang out of the game and Sly six feet under ground.  
- Hey Snaptrap, I think this guy is really creepy. - Larry muttered.  
- Why you say such a thing? The fact that he's hiring an assassin and hiding in the shadows surrounded by mutant bodyguards doesn't make him creepy, Larry. Now, shut up or I'll throw you into the shark tank! - Snaptrap replied.  
The hidden criminal and McCullen shaked hands and smirked evilly.  
- So, what is your master plan to catch the Cooper Gang, assassin? - Jack asked sarcastically.  
- I'm going to use a bait, something they want, like one of their members and lure them into a trap.  
- We already tried that, that didn't work. - Snaptrap said.  
- But you don't know how to make a real trap, I'm going to use a bait and they won't even know what will happen until they have no time to avoid it!  
- Wow, now I'm beginning to think that the real crazy guy here is him. - Snaptrap said while pointing at McCullen.  
- I maybe crazy, but I'm the solution to all of your problems with TUFF and the Cooper Gang, Snaptrap. - McCullen said.  
- Now, I think it's time to plan a new plot to get the Cooper family cane. - Said the hidden criminal.  
Everyone in the room laughed evilly as they began to think a new plan.

Now we go to the Cooper Gang's hideout, where our friends are currently trying to make a plan to break into TUFF Headquarters and rescue Keswick, well, at least Bentley was doing so because Murray was busy fixing his van; Penelope was working on her new RC Plane; Carmelita, Dudley and Dimitri were playing poker; Herbert and Barton remembered some of their adventures; Jing was speaking with the Guru and Mz. Ruby, and Sly and Kitty were nowhere to be seen.  
Finally after hacking through TUFF's security system for nearly half an hour, Bentley could pass the security system.  
- Hey guys! I'm done, I've hacked the security system. - Bentley said. - Come here, I got to tell you some things.  
- Checkmate! - Dudley yelled while he let everyone see his cards.  
- We're playing poker! - Carmelita snapped at the dog.  
- Don't look my cards! - Dudley said while he quickly hid his cards.  
- Guys! It's important, we're delayed about recruiting our tech specialist. - Bentley said.  
- Ok little buddy, just give me a minute. - Murray said from under the van. - I just need to put this hose in its place and...  
- NOW I SAID! - Bentley yelled at everyone.  
Everyone startled and dropped whatever they had on their hands, then they glared at the genius and went to where he was.  
- Hey hold on a sec, where are Sly and Kitty? - Dudley asked.  
- I don't know, they were here fourty minutes ago. - Murray asked.  
- I can feel that Cooper and that kitten are close, they are outside this room. - Mz. Ruby said.  
The Guru said something and everyone glanced at him.  
- Are you sure? - Penelope asked.  
The Guru nodded and everyone glanced at Bentley.  
- I guess we'll have to wait for them. - Barton let out.  
- Wait for who? - Sly and Kitty said while they popped out of nowhere.  
Everyone, except for Mz. Ruby, startled and gasped, then they glared at the two infiltrators.  
- Where the hell have you two been? - Carmelita asked with her hands on her hips.  
- We've been training. - Sly replied as a matter of factly.  
- Yeah, right, tell us the truth. - Carmelita said.  
- It's the truth. Sly's been teaching me some of his family moves because I asked him to do so. - Kitty snapped at the vixen.  
- You asked a thief to train you?! - Dudley asked completely shocked.  
- Yes, yes she did. - Sly answered. - I also thought it was some kind of joke, but once she offered to help me improve my martial arts skills, I saw that she was being serious, so I took the Thievius Raccoonus and we went to the Hazard Room. - The thief added (Evil says: The "Hazard Room" is ome kind of training room in "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves", play the game for more info).  
- Yep, now, what do you want to tell us, Bentley? - Kitty asked.  
The gang took their respective seats around the table, then Bentley fixed his glasses, cleared his throat and said:  
- I've hacked through the security at TUFF HQ, and I found where Keswick is. - Bentley told to the Gang.  
- What are we waiting for then? - Kitty said while she stood up.  
- Hold on, we have to hear to Bentley's plan. - Sly snapped at the former agent.  
- Thanks, now, TUFF is a very secured place, not many people can get inside it without being part of TUFF, luckily for us, we've got inside more secure places.  
- Really? - Barton asked.  
- You can't even imagine the security we've faced in the past. - Murray let out.  
- Ok, now let's get down to business. - Bentley said while he began a slideshow. - This rescue is a mission I've denominated as Operation: TUFF work. - The turtle proudly said. - The security in the building is very tight, so we'll have to rely on the old school, here's the plan: First, Dudley, Murray, Carmelita, Barton, Herbert and Mz. Ruby will have to distract as many agents as they can, so Sly and Kitty can sneak inside. Once they're inside, I'll guide them to Keswick's cell, then it's up to Sly to break him out of there. After that, they must get out of there, while I hack the security systems so our friends won't end up like Swiss cheese. Penelope, Jing and the Guru will have to clear out the way to the vehicles in case those black-ops show up.  
- Ok, the plan sounds easy, but are you sure we can pull it off? - Jing asked.  
- If I'm not overestimating your abilities, then we should be ok.  
- C'mon guys! We can do it! - Penelope snapped at the gang.  
- I'm with you. - Dudley said while he got up.  
- Me too. - Sly said while he swirled his cane in his hand.  
- The Murray is ready to go! - Murray yelled.  
- Alright fellows, let's get going! - Kitty said.  
The gang members nodded, they got up and left the room, but Mz. Ruby stood still in her seat, until she sighed and said:  
- I hope I'm wrong on what I'm feelin' right now.

(Hours later in TUFF headquarters)

Murray and Kitty landed the gang's vehicles in a nearby alleyway, so they could escape in no time once they finished the mission. The gang was taking their gear and fixing their ear pieces.  
- Ok guys, let's get a roll call. - Bentley said while he started hacking.  
- We're ready, little buddy. - Murray said while his part of the team got ready.  
- In position. - Penelope said.  
- I too stand ready. - Jing said.  
- Ready for action, pal. - Kitty said.  
- I'm breaking in. - Sly said while he was enterin the building through an air vent.  
- No! You have to wait. - Bentley snapped. - Murray, Dudley, Carmelita, you must begin now.  
- On it, Bentley. - Dudley said while he and the team went inside the building.  
Inside the building nobody payed attention to the Cooper Gang, so Murray took a big gustful of air and yelled:  
- HEY FELLAS! Who wants to engage in a little sparring with The Murray!  
The agents startled and pulled out their blasters to point at the gang. Carmelita, Barton, Dudley, Mz. Ruby and Herbert glared at Murray because of this.  
- Great job, big guy! - Carmelita said sarcastically.  
Barton and Herbert pulled out blasters, Carmelita took out her reliable shock pistol, Mz. Ruby covered her hands with voodoo energy, and Murray and Dudley engaged the agents in fist fights.  
- Phase one is complete, Sly, Kitty, now it's your turn guys. - Bentley said through his ear piece.  
- Okay partner, we're on our way. - Kitty replied through her ear piece.  
Sly and Kitty went through the air vent that Sly previously found, then they crawled through the ventilation system.  
- Bentley, guide us to where Keswick is. - Sly said.  
- Crawl a few meters more, then take the turn to your left, after that you must be careful because you have to go down. - The turtle replied while he checked TUFF HQ's blueprints.  
Sly and Kitty were breaking inside the TUFF HQ, but something wasn't right, every vent that they passed they saw that all the rooms were empty, the building seemed uninhabited for some time.  
- Isn't this supposed to be full of security? - Sly asked Kitty.  
- It is, I don't know what's going on here. - Kitty replied.  
- Hey Bentley, something's not ok in here... - Sly said through his ear piece.  
Static was the only response Sly could get from his ear piece. He turned his back and said:  
- Looks like something or someone was waiting for us, the ear pieces don't work anymore.  
- Then we must stay sharp, there could be a trap waiting for us. - Kitty replied.  
Sly nodded and the two infiltrators kept going through the ventilation system.  
Meanwhile outside the building, Bentley was frantic, he had lost all comunication with the rest of the gang.  
- Guys! Guys? Do you read me?! Please! Anyone! - The turtle genius said franticly through the ear com.  
- HAHAHAHAHA! You and your pathetic team are finished, turtle! - A voice with a frightening english accent said mockingly.  
- Who the heck are you?! How did you find this frecuency?! - Bentley asked completely terrified.  
The ear com went to static again, Bentley was far beyond sick worried, he was terrified, somebody had somehow hacked his systems and now that person knew about their plan to rescue Keswick. Bentley tipped furiously in his laptop, he was determined to make the ear coms work again and get the team out of TUFF's building at any cost.  
Meanwhile, Murray, Carmelita, Dudley and the rest noted that the "agents" were nothing but holograms, and once the holograms dissapeared, they knew something wasn't right.  
- What's going on here? - Murray wondered aloud.  
- I don't know, isn't TUFF supossed to be full of your agents, Herbert? - Barton asked.  
- Yes. - The flea responded.  
- Then why nobody is here? - Carmelita asked.  
- That would be because of me. - Someone said with a terrifying english voice.  
The team turned their backs and found a raccoon that was a lot like Sly.  
- Cooper?! What are ya doin' here? Ya're supposed to be with that kitten. - Mz. Ruby said.  
- When did you change your clothes, Sly? - Murray asked.  
- (Growl) He's not Sly, just look at his eyes and you'll know it. - Carmelita snarled.  
- Quite right, Mrs. Cooper, my name is Lancelot McCullen, and I am here to capture you. - The doppelganger said.  
- Jack Rabbit and the other villains sent you, didn't they? - Barton asked while he gripped his blaster thighter.  
- Not at all, I offered them my help, after all, they could never beat your organizations alone, much less now that you work together.  
- And what makes you think you can beat the Murray and his team partners? - Murray asked.  
- Hmph, don't make me laugh, meatball, I can take out Sly Cooper in a flash, none of you are match for me.  
- That's what ya think, idiot. - Mz. Ruby said.  
- Well, why don't you try to find out? - McCullen challenged the gang.  
- HI-GEE-GEE! - Dudley yelled while he lunged at McCullen.  
McCullen smirked evilly, he made a half turn, then kneed Dudley in the stomach. The other gang members gasped, then they glared at Sly's doppelganger.  
- Let's thump this chump! - Murray said while he cracked his knuckles.  
The gang lunged at McCullen, completely unaware of the danger that the mischievious raccoon had in his pocket.  
McCullen dug in his pocket and pulled out some sort of remote control, he pressed a button and our gang members were caught in some kind of force field, stopping them mid air.  
- You should have joined us instead, Ruby, so you would not be in this situation. - McCullen said with a smirk. - Now if you excuse me, I have to go and get the rest of your gang. Don't go anywhere, please... Ha! Like if you had any other choice! - He said while he left our dear friends still frozen mid air.  
The gang struggled and tried to break free of the force field, but everything was useless.  
- How do we get out of this predicament? - Carmelita asked.  
- What? - The others asked in response.  
- (Grunt) My stupid calendar suggested me that word! I meant how do we get out of this trouble? - The vixen explained.  
- Maybe I can use my magic, but I dunno if it'll work against this force field thing. - Mz. Ruby said.  
- Try it, if I'm right, then that McCullen guy is going after Kitty and Sly. - Dudley said.  
Mz. Ruby began speaking in a foreign language, while her eyes and hands glowed with a greeninsh energy.  
Meanwhile, our dear infiltrators had finally entered the cell block where Keswick was supposed to be, but they found another surprise, the cells were completely empty.  
- Well, this is going from bad to worse, nobody is in here! - Kitty snapped.  
- I don't get it, why does nobody is inside the building? Why this mission was so easy? Why is Keswick not here? - Sly wondered aloud with a hand in his chin.  
- Well, well, well, we finally meet, Sly Cooper and Kitty Katswell. - Some kind of english voice said with an evil tone.  
- I don't like the sound of that voice. - Kitty let out.  
- Me either. - Sly said.  
Sly and Kitty pulled out their weapons and turned to face the intruder, but once they saw him, they froze. The intruder was almost like a twin for Sly.  
- Who are you and why are you so much like Sly? - Kitty asked.  
- Well, I guess I deserve to be comparated to Cooper since I did not introduce myself from the beginning. - The doppelganger said. - My name is Lancelot McCullen, and I am here to catch you.  
- Lemme guess, you were either hired or recruited by whoever wants me and my pals out of the game, and now we'll have a fight in which Kitty and I will win, while you go back to the unnamed criminal association headquarters with your tail between your legs. - Sly said nonchalantly. - Can we just skip the fight so we won't need to hurt you?  
- (Unnerving laugh) Oh Mr. Cooper, you are really funny! - McCullen laughed. - You actually think you two can beat me?  
- We don't think, we will do it, so please, go away or we'll be forced to hurt you. - Kitty said.  
- Ok, if you two think you can beat me, then let's give it a test. - McCullen said while he pulled out his dagger.  
Sly and Kitty glared at McCullen, who just smirked at them in a sinister way. Then, McCullen threw a knife at Kitty, Sly saw him and he pushed Kitty out of the way, receiving the blade in his left arm. Kitty's eyes went wide when she heard Sly's cry and she turned just to see him pulling the blade out of his arm.  
- (Groan) Why did you do that?! The one you all want dead is me! - Sly yelled at McCullen.  
- I thought that you would put yourself between my knife and Miss Katswell, I now see why you earned such a reputation. - McCullen replied of-factly.  
- Now you'll know why I earned the reputation of the greatest master thief in the universe! - Sly said while he pulled out a bunch of shuriken from his leg pouch.  
Sly used his right arm and threw the shinobi blades at McCullen, he startled and tried to avoid as many as he could, but at least five shuriken embedded in his chest, his right arm and his left leg. McCullen grunted, making Sly smirk a bit, but when both faced each other, McCullen was smiling in an evil way.  
- Why are you smiling? Are you a masochist or something? - Sly asked.  
- No, it is just that I was expecting you would be my greatest challenge ever, and you just exceeded my expectations, Mr. Cooper. - McCullen responded.  
- Kitty, get out of here, I'll deal with McCullen alone. - Sly said seriously.  
- No way, Sly, I'll help you. - Kitty said while she unsheatted her claws.  
- I wasn't asking you to leave, it was an order, Kitty.  
- Please, Mr. Cooper, you already know what I am, a master thief alone will not be able to defeat me. - McCullen said while he pulled out the last of Sly's shuriken from his arm.  
- I'm a bit different, I had a bit more training a few years ago, I think I can dispatch an assassin like you.  
- I do not think so.  
McCullen lunged at Sly, he speared him with his body and crashed Sly against the wall. Kitty tried to get into the fight, but Sly took her and pushed her back, their glares meet and McCullen almost cuts Sly's cheek. Our dear thief kneed McCullen and punched him in the gut, then McCullen put his hands in the floor and grabbed Sly by his neck with his legs, he threw him against a wall and slammed his head hard. Then McCullen took Sly's almost unconscious body and threw him at Kitty's feet. Kitty gasped in horror at and fell to her knees, trying to make Sly react somehow.  
- Now you see, Mr. Cooper? There is no way you can beat me! - McCullen said mockingly.  
- I... I'm not going to... give up... yet! - Sly said while he stumbled to stand up.  
- You can't fight anymore, Sly, you try to escape while I distract him. - Kitty said worriedly.  
- No... if you didn't listen to me when I told you the same thing, I won't do it either.  
- I hope you two are done talking, because I am getting really impatient. - McCullen said while he toyed with his dagger.  
Kitty and Sly got in battle stance, Sly had a bit of a problem because of his wounds, McCullen smirked and lunged at the wounded Sly, only to be kneed hard in the stomach by Kitty. Sly took this chance and elbowed hard on McCullen's back. McCullen grunted, but he managed to put his hands in the ground again and he kicked Sly and Kitty, he spun and stood up, only to be kicked in the back by Kitty. McCullen turned and slapped Kitty hard, Sly enraged and he lunged at the assassin, not caring the least about his injured arm. McCullen smirked and sweep-kicked Sly, making him fall over his injured arm, the thief cried as pain coursed throughout his entire body, but he stood up again, he pulled out a kunai and threw it at McCullen. McCullen received the kunai in his right forearm, but he pulled it out and threw it at Kitty. Kitty evaded the blade, but it scrapped her cheek. She glared at McCullen and tried to slash him with her claws, but the assassin evaded again and kneed Kitty in the stomach. Then he put his arm around Kitty's neck and began to choke her. Sly saw the assassin, he reincorporated and hit him in the head with his cane. McCullen let go of Kitty's neck and the latter gasped heavily for air, while the two raccoons engaged each other again. McCullen took Sly by the shoulders and threw him against Kitty.  
McCullen smirked micheviously at the two battered infiltrators, who were barely conscious. He pulled out his beloved dagger and got ready to finish with Sly and Kitty's suffering. He raised his hand, ready to strike, but just when his blade was about to skim Sly's fur, another smaller dagger collided with McCullen's, which flew across the cell room. The evil raccoon growled and turned to face the new intruder.  
- Hey there, fella! - Said the intruder.  
- Who the hell are you and how dare you to stop me?! - McCullen snarled.  
The intruder stepped out of the shadows and McCullen saw taht she was a tigress, her fur was white and had black stripes.  
- My name's Scarlett, and I don't like what you were going to do to those two.  
- It is none of your business what I am doing here!  
- Of course it is, especially if that raccoon is Sly Cooper.  
Meanwhile, Kitty and Sly regained their consciousness, then they glanced at the tigress who had just saved them.  
- Do you know her, Sly? - Kitty asked.  
- No, but certainly I thank God and the Force for sending her here.  
Scarlett and McCullen were now face to face, they were growling at each other, and then a yell interrumpts them both.  
- HI-GEE-GEE! - A white dog yelled while he kicked McCullen in the face.  
Everyone, except for the newcomer, was glad to see Dudley, who was rapidly followed by Murray, Barton, Herbert, Mz. Ruby and Carmelita.  
- Heads up, sucker! - Murray shouted before punching McCullen in the chin.  
McCullen went flying and crashed against a wall. He shaked his head and blinked a few times to clear his sight. Unfortunately, the first thing he saw was a glowing ball and a big pistol, both aimed at him.  
- Say cheese, assassin! - Carmelita and Mz. Ruby yelled.  
The villanous raccoon was sent flying again, and this time he fell at Sly and Kitty's feet.  
- Very close, McCullen, you were this close to kill us, and you failed. - Sly mocked.  
- You look very brave with your little friends, but without them you would be dead by now! - McCullen said before smirking. - But not everything is lost, none of you, that tigress included, will survive my final trick!  
No one understood what McCullen meant, which just smirked wider and reincorporated, grabeed his dear dagger and then he climbed inside an air vent.  
- Goodbye, Cooper Gang! - McCullen said while he pulled out some kind of detonator.  
The gang's eyes went wide open when they realized what the assassin had meant, he was going to blow TUFF's headquarters.  
Meanwhile outside the building, our dear turtle has finally hacked through McCullen's dead-end, but he found out the last part in the criminal's plan.  
- IT'S A TRAP! EVERYONE, GET OUT OF THE BUILDING NOW! - Bentley yelled.  
The gang members inside the building startled when they heard Bentley's sudden cry of dispair, after they shook their heads, they glanced at McCullen, who was smirking.  
- Five minutes, escape if you can, I do not want that our little match to end like that, Mr Cooper! - McCullen said while he dissapeared inside the air vent.  
- You heard the raccoon of evil omen, let's get out of here! - Sly snapped at his gang. - Are you coming with us? - Sly asked to Scarlett.  
- Yes. - Scarlett replied.  
- Enough talk, let's go! - Carmelita said while pushing everyone out of the room.  
Outside the building, Bentley, Penelope, the Guru and Jing were in front of the building, just praying for their friends to get out alive.  
- Please, get out of there now! - Penelope whispered.  
The Guru spoke, some concern could be heard in his tone, but he was a lot calmer than anyone else.  
- I hope you're right, Guru. - Jing, Bentley and Penelope said.  
And back inside the building, everyone was running by the staircase as fast as they could.  
- How much time left do we have?! - Asked Mz Ruby.  
- Like three minutes. - Carmelita answered while she checked her watch.  
- Can't Mz Ruby teleport us with her magic?! - Herbert asked.  
- No! I ran outta mah voodoo energy when I got us outta the force field. - Mz Ruby explained.  
- Oh good grief! What are we gonna do! - Dimitri let out.  
Everyone startled when they heard Dimitri's sudden cry, because he wasn't supposed to be with them.  
- Why the heck are you here?! - Everyone asks the lizard.  
- Nobody's gonna take me away from the action!  
The rest just facepalmed themselves and kept running.  
After another minute, they finally could se the exit, but Kitty remembered something really important, they were going to need TUFF's information about their criminals, if they ever wanted to win and clean their names. The former agent went directly to the main computer, while the others watched her.  
- What do you think you're doing, Kitty?! - Carmelita asked without stopping.  
- We need the information about our criminals and our gadgets! We won't be able to get it if the building explodes! - Kitty replied.  
- Oh, by the Force! - Sly complained. - You guys get outta here, me and Kitty will catch up with you! - The thief added while he went back with Kitty.  
- Sly, no! - Carmelita yelled.  
- We'll go with you, Sly! C'mon Carm! - Dudley said while motioning Carmelita to follow him.  
- Guys, no! - Murray yelled.  
Dimitri, Mz. Ruby, Herbert, Murray, Scarlett and Barton finally came out of TUFF Headquarters, panting heavily and a bit bruised, but alive. Bentley, the Guru, Jing and Penelope smiled in relief, but then their faces went back to be showing worry.  
- Where are Sly, Kitty, Dudley and Carmelita?! - Bentley asked.  
- They're still inside, they said that we needed the information if we wanted to beat the criminals. - Scarlett said.  
- Who are you? - Penelope asked.  
Then, the TUFF building explodes, while the Gang watches in horror as Sly, Kitty and their partners were still inside. 


	6. Operation: TUFF Work, part 2

(Evil says: Ok, I had to work very hard to make this chapter, it was a tough job but someone had to do it. You may wonder why I had to work hard? Well, I wanna say, Happy Birthday CuteNerd! I really hope you like this chapter, consider it as my birthday gift to you. Thanks for reading my story and for letting me use your OC. Now, let's begin the chapter)

Chapter 4.- Operation: TUFF work.

Part 2.- I quit.

- How much time left do we have?! - Asked Kitty while she was downloading the last files.  
- Thirty seconds! - Carmelita answered.  
- C'mon, Kit! Hurry up you stupid computer! - Sly said while inserting some kind of USB device in a the main computer.  
- What are you doing? - Kitty asked.  
- McCullen controlled the whole building, he must have had some sort of control device, if I can get this thing to connect with it, maybe I can hack it and find out who is the real planner of all this madness. - Sly replied.  
- Do you know how to do that?  
- Not as much as Bentley, but I can do it.

15 seconds.

Kitty and Sly typed furiously in the keyboards, they were decided to make it, they would not allow Dudley and Carmelita to die because of their decision.

10 seconds.

Sly had finally found McCullen's source of control, he was downloading all the files he could get.

5 seconds.

Kitty had finished and Sly's connection had broken, so they were done.

3 seconds.

- Let's get the hell out of here! - Kitty and Sly yelled.  
Dudley and Carmelita nodded and they began running towards the nearest window.

2 seconds.

Sly knew they weren't going to make it, so he dug in his leg pouch, pulled out some kind of device and stopped Kitty, Carmelita and Dudley.

1 second.

He activated the device and hugged his three companions tight.

0 seconds.

The building explodes, while outside the Gang watches in horror as Sly, Kitty, Carmelita and Dudley were still inside.

The Gang was completely horrified, the villains had finally did what they wanted... they had finally got rid of Sly Cooper, Kitty Katswell, Dudley Puppy and Carmelita Montoya Fox.  
Everyone was devastated, even Mz. Ruby, they were all crying in front of what used to be TUFF headquarters.  
- This is all my fault! - Bentley yelled.  
- You couldn't have done anything to avoid it, Bentley. - Penelope said.  
- Of course I could have! - The turtle replied.  
- Bentley, it's not your fault, it was McCullen's. - Murray said while clenching his fist.  
- Murray is right, that hideous raccoon is the only blame of their death. - Jing said with sorrow and anger.  
- We're not dead yet! - Someone yelled from the debris.  
The Gang's eyes went wide and shaked their heads because they thought they had heard Sly's voice.  
- Hey guys! We could use a little help here! - A woman yelled from the rubble.  
Now they checked their ears, they could have sworn they heard Kitty's voice too.  
Some shadows could be seen soming from the rubble, they tried to see whoever or whatever was coming from the rubble, and their eyes went wide when they saw that Sly, Kitty, Carmelita and Dudley were still alive and kicking.  
To say that the Gang was ecstatic was an understatement, they were astonished and completely overwhelmed by happiness.  
- Hi guys. - Sly let out weakly.  
- How did you...?! - Murray said.  
- This thing. - Sly said while he pulled out another device from his leg pouch. - Bubble shields, I knew that this would come in handy someday. Good thing that I stole a few from the UNSC.  
- What the heck is the UNSC? - Asked Kitty.  
- Sorry my old friend, it's classified. - Sly replied with a weak smile.  
- What are you, a soldier? - Kitty asked with some annoyance in her tone.  
- Not at all, but kinda.  
Kitty and most of the gang stared at Sly in confusion, only Bentley, Carmelita, Murray and Penelope knew what he had meant.  
- Sly, you idiot! - Bentley yelled, startling everyone. - I thought for a second that you guys were done for!  
- Calm down, buddy, I also thought we weren't gonna make it. - Sly said while scratching his neck.  
- Wait a second, I just heard you call that cat "old friend", since when do you know her? - Scarlett asked.  
- We don't even know who are you and you're asking me that like if I knew you? - Sly snapped at the tigress.  
- I'm Scarlett, and I'm somewhat related to you, Sly Cooper. - Scarlett replied.  
- We'll have time for that later, now , respond, since when do you know Kitty? - Carmelita snapped.  
- Since we were both sixteen. - Kitty replied.  
- What?! - Everyone said.  
- She's right, Bentley, Murray and I began our reputation here in Petropolis, a reputation which I lost a few minutes ago. - Sly said in defeat.  
- Why do you sound so depressed, Mr Cooper? - Jing asked.  
- McCullen was right, me and Kitty would be dead if it weren't because of you.  
- Sly stop thinking that, you know we'll always be there to help you, besides, he said that because he has no friends, unlike you or Kitty. - Dudley said.  
- Dudley, McCullen could have killed me and Kitty without any problem! - Sly yelled. - I can't beat him, if we ever find the villains, they will kill us all.  
- C'mon Sly, it's not the first time we've been through hard situa... - Bentley said.  
- NO! Not even Clockwerk during the Rebellion was so fucking dificult to face! - Sly snapped.  
- What is "the Rebellion"? - Herbert asked.  
- Does it really matter now?! - Sly yelled. - I give up, I can't fight without my powers, I'm useless.  
Carmelita was angry, she had never heard her husband gave up, not when Clockwerk had captured her in the Krak Karov volcano, not when the Klaww Gang stole the Clockwerk parts from under the Cooper Gang's noses, not even when the same mechnical bird took over the galaxy along with other six villains.  
- That's enough, ringtail! - Carmelita yelled. - You have never gave up before and I will not let you do it now!  
Sly was about to reply when the debris of the TUFF building began shaking, the Gang startled and got in battle stance.  
The ground began to crack, the Gang backed away and watched as the debris and pieces of the ground went flying, while a cloud of dust raised, along with a gigantic figure, a shadow which was rapidly aknowledged.  
- No... NO! IT CAN'T BE! - Kitty and Sly said.  
The cloud of dust and smoke was wiped by the flapping of wings of a mechanical being, whom everybody believed had been dead for some time. The gang couldn't believe it, it was sad but true, Clockwerk had returned once again.  
Kitty and Sly looked directly in the machine's eyes and paralyzed due to the fear that coursed through their bodies.  
- Hello Cooper Gang, I'm back to destroy you once and for all! - The ancient and supposedly dead old bird mocked.  
- EVERYBODY RUN TO THE VEHICLES! - Dudley yelled.  
Neither Sly nor Kitty could move a single muscle, they were both too terrified to do it. Clockwerk tried to attack his archnemesis and the former agent but Mz. Ruby, Penelope and Jing attacked the heinous owl with magic, the new RC plane and fireworks respectively, luring his attention to them. Clockwerk tried to attack the three girls, but the Van crashed against him, but there was something odd inside the van because Murray wasn't driving it, it was Carmelita. She and Dudley distracted Clockwerk with the vehicles and engaged the ancient bird in some kind of dog-fight in the air.  
Meanwhile Murray and Scarlett decided then to carry Sly and Kitty to somewhere safe, while the rest of the Gang tried to figure a way to hop aboard the flying vehicles and support their comrades.  
- What happened to them?! - Asked a confused Scarlet.  
- I dunno, I've never seen Sly like this! - Murray replied.  
- Let's worry 'bout it later, we have to find a way to defeat Clockwerk! - Scarlett said while clenching her teeth.  
- If Clockwerk has the same abilities he had during the Rebellion, we're as good as dead. - Murray muttered.  
- What the hell is the "Rebellion" and the "UNSC"?! - Scarlett asked quite exasperated.  
- We'll tell you later! - Murray said.  
Then a loud noise is heard, along with many sirens and firearm shots. To add insult to injury, the Cooper Gang was not only going to face the diabolical machine, but also the WHOLE Petropolis Police Department AND the human FBI agents.  
- Oh great! - Murray yelled. - Can this get any worse?!  
And to Murray and the Gang's disgrace, three choppers appeared in view.  
- Oh for the love of the Force! - Murray complained while he and Scarlett lifted Kitty and Sly again.  
- You should keep your mouth shut big guy! - Scarlett said.  
- Murray, you and that unknown tigress must come to the debris! - Bentey's nasal voice was heard through the ear coms.  
- We're en route little buddy! - Murray said while he and Scarlett started running.  
- I have a name, you know? - Scarlett snapped at the turtle.  
- How does everyone keeps messing with our frecuencies?! - Bentley complained.  
- We have bigger troubles than that, Bentley! - Carmelita snapped at the genius.  
And Carmelita was right, Clockwerk was one heck of a fight, not even the two vehicles could match with the old bird.  
- We're gonna need you guys to help us shoot thins thing down. - Carmelita said. - Dudley, can you distract Clockwerk so I can land and get the team inside the van?  
- I guess so, but who's "Clockwise"? - Dudley asked.  
- It's Clockwerk and it's the mechanic owl right in front of you!  
- Oh, that clear things up!  
Carmelita resisted the urge to facepalm herself and centered her attention in finding a safe landing zone.  
Meanwhile the rest of the Gang was fighting against the police officers and the FBI agents.  
- This wasn't part of the plan! - Bentley yelled as hordes and hordes of enemies kept coming form ll directions.  
- We can't give up! - Penelope said.  
- Where are Murray, Kitty, Sly and the unknown tigress? We could really use their help here. - Barton said.  
- Sly and Kitty are in shock, they're quite useless right now. - Herbert said.  
- Why? The cracker-box and agent-spinsty are always up for some action-reaction. - Asked Dimitri.  
- No one knows! - Bentley said.  
"If only ya guys knew..." Mz. Ruby thought.  
(Nine years ago)  
A sixteen year old cat with tan fur and black hair, wearing a white t-shirt and green tight pants, who is a young trainee of the Turbo Undercover Fighting Force, was chasing her first criminal, a sixteen year old raccoon wearing a blue t-shirt, boots and cap, and a belt with a logo, who came from a long line of master raccoon thieves.  
- You can't catch me, Katswell! - The raccoon mocked while he was chased over the rooftops of Petropolis.  
- That's what you think, Cooper! - The cat replied.  
The name of the trainee is Kitty Katswell, while the thief is called Sly Cooper. Kitty was hot on Sly's heels, when suddenly something caught her eye, as well as Sly's. Five cloaked figures were entering an abandoned warehouse, looking very suspicious. Sly and Kitty stopped and went to the warehouse, unaware of each other. Once they arrived to where they had seen the figures, they realize they're in front of each other.  
- Cooper! What do you think you're doing?! - Kitty snapped quietly at the raccoon.  
- I should be asking you the same thing. - Sly replied quietly while folding his arms. - Aren't you supposed to chase me down until you put me behind the bars?  
- Just shut up, ringtail, this looks more important.  
- What could be more important than capture the new Cooper Master Thief?  
- I don't know, but I think that I've seen these guys somewhere. - Kitty said while she and Sly leaned close to a skylight.  
- You know, my life has been a lot more interesting since I met you. - Sly let out nonchalantly. - I should thank that Snaptrap guy but since he stole my precious cane once, I won't do it.  
- Cooper, I can't hear anything with your voice so high! - Kitty snapped quite exasperately.  
- Ok, ok, I'll shut up. - Sly said while faking to close a zipper on his mouth.  
The trainee and the young thief leaned a bit closer to listen to the conversation between the individuals inside the warehouse.  
Sly took a glance at each person inside the warehouse and gasped, they were the Fiendish Five, the five persons that killed his parents and stole the Thievius Raccoonus. The young thief felt a fit of rage and tried to open the skylight, but Kitty took Sly's wrist before he could do so.  
- What do you think you're doing?! - Kitty snapped.  
- Those idiots killed my parents! - Sly said.  
- You can't beat them alone Cooper, I'll call Jack and maybe we can beat them together.  
Before Kitty could even raise her wrist communicator, a tongue enveloped both the trainee and the thief, and dragged them inside the warehouse. The two youngsters fell face first and were released once they touched the ground.  
- Hehehe, I never thought I'd find you again, Sly Cooper. - A cold-hearted voiced said.  
Sly and Kitty froze once they noticed that the Fiendish Five had just found them.  
- I say it's time we end what we started eight years ago. - Muggshot said while cracking his knuckles.  
- Hey, haven't we seen the kitten somewhere? - Mz. Ruby said.  
- I think she is related to that cat which was friends with Connor Cooper. - Panda King deduced.  
- Then let's squash this little runts! - Muggshot said.  
- While eliminating the last Cooper would be great, no harm will be done to him, I still have plans for him. - Clockwerk stated, making the other criminals frown. - But, the girl is an intruder, and by what I see in her t-shirt, she's part of the Turbo Undercover Fighting Force, a crime-fighting asociation, she must be eliminated.  
The rest of the Fiendish Five chuckled and prepared to kill the young trainee, until Sly stood up in front of them and glared at the criminals. Clockwerk narrowed his eyes at the raccoon, and then he chuckled evilly.  
- Perhaps I'm being too merciful, Cooper is mine, you can do whatever you want with the kitten. - Clockwerk said.  
Both youngsters gulped hard but got ready to face the worst criminals at that time...  
(Present day)  
The Cooper Gang was between a rock and a hard place, they were facing at least a hundred enemies at the same time, and their best fighters were too shocked to do anything else than mutter inaudible pleas and shake in fear. Everyone was very busy, while Bentley, Herbert, Barton, Jing and Dimitri faced the cops; Penelope, Murray, Scarlett and Mz. Ruby faced the agents; Dudley was facing Clockwerk, and Carmelita was facing the choppers that the PPD and the FBI had brought. Kitty and Sly were put behind one of the remaining walls of the former TUFF headquarters, the rest of the gang left them there while they hoped the two infiltrators could finally snap out of their thoughts.  
- How can we escape from this?! - Dudley said while he shot his last missile at Clockwerk, failing at the target.  
- I don't know! - Bentley said. - There's nothing we can do now!  
- We've been through worse Bentley, we can survive this! - Murray said.  
- I highly doubt it! Only the Flood is worse than this! - Carmelita said while she evaded two missiles.  
- You mean like the Bible? - Scarlett asked.  
- No. The Flood she's talking about is way worse than that. - Sly said while he and Kitty joined the fight.  
- Sly! Kitty! You guys are ok! - Dudley said happily.  
- Yeah, and guess that we have to find a solution to all this. - Kitty let out while unsheatting her claws.  
Sly and Kitty shared a glance, then the two of them double-jumped over the cops and the agents. Once they landed, the thief and the agent grabbed their wrists and began spinning at a neck-breaking speed, hitting the law enforcements with Sly's cane and slashing them with Kitty's claws. Though a bit bloody, Sly and Kitty's plan worked to perfection, and the law enforcements were just going to need a few medical cares.  
Once they finished, Sly and Kitty stopped and looked at their astonished pals.  
- What are you waiting for? We still have to destroy Clockwerk for umpteenth time. - Sly said while he and Kitty started to run to caught up with Dudley and Carmelita.  
The Gang nodded and ran after the two infiltrators. Meanwhile, Kitty activated her wrist communicator and said:  
- Dudley, you and Carmelita must land, we'll help you shoot down Clockwerk.  
- Call the press, Kitty and Sly are fine once again. - Carmelita said sarcastically.  
- I love you too Carm, but right now we need to destroy that machine for the umpteenth time in our lives. - Sly said.  
- You're right ringtail, but after we shoot him down you two have a lot to explain.  
- Of course, we'll tell you everything about us, but we must stop Clockwerk NOW! - Kitty said.  
- Do you mean that you two had a relationship or something?! - Dudley asked very confused and stunned, but more than anything else, angry and jealous.  
- Sort of. - The two infiltrators replied.  
To say that Carmelita was angry was an understatement. "ABOUT US?! RINGTAIL, KATSWELL, YOU TWO ARE SO GODDAMN DEAD!" Carmelita thought while her mind was filled with tortures to punish her so called friend and his liar husband.  
The two vehicles landed and the whole team got inside them, then Sly took the van's turret and Kitty took the TUFF mobile's wheel (Evil says: I'm not sure if I should call it that). The rest of the team took blasters and MZ7PL's, then all pointed at the old bird. Clockwerk shoot two of his electric rings, Sly rapidly took care of them and the Gang returned the fire. Though Clockwerk's metal armor could resist bullets, the plasma-laser rounds used by the turret and the Gang's guns were a lot more powerful. After a few minutes, the diabolical machine was finally defeated.  
The Gang sighed in relief and put their guns away, before glaring at Sly and Kitty.  
- You two have a lot to tell us. - Everyone said, making Kitty and Sly blush and low their heads in shame.


	7. Memories

Chapter 5.- Memories.

(Twenty-seven years ago)

A raccoon wearing a blue t-shirt, blue boots and was carrying a wooden cane with a C-like golden hook, was staring at the city of Petropolis from the roof of a building. His name is Connor Cooper, the best Master Thief until the date. Suddenly he feels something out of place and smiles.  
- You know you can't sneak up on a Master Thief like me, Alexander. - Connor said with a smile.  
Connor turned to face a cat with tan fur, black short hair and green eyes, who was wearing a blue coat, a black shirt, blue jeans and dark brown shoes.  
- I know that already Cooper. - Alexander replied.  
- Then why did you tried it again.  
- So he could distract you. - A voice with a Latin accent said.  
- Ramiro Fox, I never thought I'd see you here in Petropolis. - Connor said with a smile.  
- What can I say Connor? Alexander and I met back in Mexico when you stole the Anthropology Museum of Guadalajara. - Ramiro said while he whirled a pair of handcuffs in his index finger.  
- Are you here to arrest me? - Connor asked.  
- No, we know you gave up a few months ago. - Alexander said.  
Ramiro and Alexander approached Connor and shared a hug.  
- Don't you remember the full pardon we gave you? - Ramiro asked.  
- Maybe he just lost it or something. - Another voice added.  
- David, glad you could make it to our little "reunion". - Alexander said.  
The man known as "David" was a white dog wearing a blue t-shirt and black jeans.  
- Have you guys forgotten that I have the sense of smell of a hound? - David said while he joined the group.  
- Nope, we just like to pretend that we forget about it. - Alexander said.  
- Man, it's been quite a long time since we've been together. - Ramiro let out longingly.  
- Yep, who could have ever imagined that even if we were enemies before, we'd become such good friends? - Alexander said.  
- And to think that we owe our friendship to the Fiendish Five. - Connor let out...

(Present time)

The travel to the Cooper Gang's hideout was silent, Kitty and Sly were way too embarrassed to do anything else than lower their heads and look at each other. The others just glared at them and huffed, they really felt betrayed by their actions.  
- We're here. - Murray said while still frowning.  
Dudley and Murray stopped the vehicles and everyone stepped out of them. Sly and Kitty kept their heads down while everyone walked inside the house. Once inside, the two infiltrators noticed that the Gang was glaring at them again, they fell backwards and sat down while they began to cry.  
- Wipe your crocodile tears, we all know that you don't feel any guilty. - Carmelita said coldly.  
- You just don't understand Carm! - Sly said while sobbing.  
- No, I do understand, and I guess that everyone here understands that you and Kitty have been hiding secrets from us. - Is there anyone that isn't hiding secrets?! - Carmelita asked very furious.  
Nobody dared to do anything, they knew that Carmelita was hurt and angry, and she had enough reasons to be so, her husband and her friend had had a relationship, even if it happened a long time ago, she was still hurt.  
- Well?! - Carmelita said exasperately.  
- We... We just... I-I don't know how to say it, Carmelita. - Kitty said between sobs.  
- How about if you just say the truth for once since we've met?  
- You guys have to trust us, we never thought that this was so important for our mission. - Sly said while wipping a few tears.

(Somewhere else)

- You said you could rid of them easily! - Growled Jack Rabbit.  
- And I could have done it if their stupid friends had not intruded! - McCullen yelled before smirking. - But I would not call it a defeat at all.  
- And how would you call it then? An overwhelming beating perhaps? - Asked Raliegh.  
- No, I saw Mr. Cooper and Miss Katswell's faces before I left Petropolis, the others do not trust them anymore. - It was quite expectable, if you ask me, after what Clockwerk did to them the last time they were together.  
- How do yeh know 'bout that? - Muggshot asked.  
- I made an investigation, I know everything about those two and their little friends.

(Back at the Cooper Gang's hideout)

The whole gang is in the living room of the hideout, they are waiting for Sly and Kitty's explanation.  
- It was nine years ago, me, Bentley and Murray were beginning our thieving reputation, we thought that Petropolis could be a good start. - Sly said.  
- Jack and I were trainees, the new generation at TUFF, our first task was to bring down the new Cooper Gang before they earned their reputation. - Kitty added.  
- We never knew that because of that we'd become more than enemies. - The two infiltrators said in unison.  
- Are you saying that you hid a relationship from a secret agency and a gang of thieves? - Herbert asked, feeling half impressed and half angry.  
- Yes, we liked each other a lot, and it was an exciting thing, me, a trainee from the Turbo Undercover Fighting Force, and he, the next Master of all Thieves. - Kitty said, only earning a deadly glare from Carmelita.  
- You were Sly's girlfriend just for the excitement?! - Carmelita said, feeling outraged.  
- No! I did like Sly, and he did too.  
- Yes, we went out on a few dates, until "that" happened. - Sly said.  
- What do you mean by "that", Sly? - Asked Jing, quite confused.  
- I think that we have to help them to explain. - Mz. Ruby said while looking at Bentley and Murray.  
- You mean... - Bentley said.  
- Yes.  
The rest of the gang was confused, Murray, Mz. Ruby and Bentley knew about Sly and Kitty too?  
- You mean that you knew?! - Carmelita yelled.  
- No, we just knew a few hours ago. - Murray said.  
- But we know what they mean by "that". - Bentley explained.  
- I think I now remember, it was that incident with Clockwerk, right? - Barton asked.  
- How did you know? - Asked everyone.  
- I was the one that put Inspector Fox after Sly Cooper and the Fiendish Five, I had a record about their crimes.  
- Exactly, it was nine years ago. - Sly said.  
- We were both at our jobs, he had just escaped from a museum. - Kitty added.  
- She was chasing me, until we saw five cloaked figures get inside a warehouse.  
- Those figures were Muggshot, Raliegh, Panda King, Clockwerk and myself. - Mz. Ruby explained. - We had a reunion about what Cooper was doin'.  
- We were naturally curious, that's why we got closer to the warehouse, but after that everything went to Hell.  
- What happened? - Carmelita asked while still frowning.  
- Kitty almost died, I suffered schizophrenia for almost two years, Murray, Bentley and Jack were and the Fiendish Five ran away scot free.  
- How? - Jing asked.  
- Me and the others found'em, then Clockwerk ordered Muggshot, Raliegh, Panda King and me to kill Kitty. - Mz Ruby explained.

(Nine years ago)

Muggshot tried to punch both youngsters, but Sly grabbed Kitty's wrist and pulled her closer to him, then they started running towards the exit, only to watch it explode by some fireworks.  
- Muggshot! - Clockwerk growled. - I told you that Cooper is mine!  
- Who cares! As long as Cooper is dead, who cares who killed him! - Muggshot replied.  
The brawn of the Fiendish Five lunged at the trainee and the thief, only to be kicked in the face by both youngsters. Muggshot backed away and growled while the two young infiltrators tried to climb some boxes to escape. Raliegh used his tounge to grab Kitty's left ankle and then he threw her against the ground. Sly jumped over the machinist and whacked him in the head with his cane, then the raccoon ran to help Kitty, only to be shot by some voodoo magic.  
- Not so fast Cooper! - Mz Ruby said.  
Sly coughed some blood but stood up again and glared at the Fiendish Five.  
- I will not let you hurt her! - Sly said firmly.  
- Oh is that your girlfriend, little raccoon? - Muggshot mocked.  
- That's one more reason to kill her. - Said Raliegh.  
- You'll have to pass over my dead body. - Sly replied.  
- That is exactly what we intend to, Cooper. - Clockwerk said while narrowing his eyes at the thief.  
Clockwerk raised fligh and lunged at Sly, who could barely evade the diabolical machine's talons. Then he rolled out of Clockwerk's way again, only this time the heinous owl could cut Sly in the back, making a rather severe wound. Clockwerk chuckled and lunged at the raccoon again, only to be shot in the head by some sort of blaster.  
- Not so fast you scrap metal! - Yelled a yellow furred rabbit who was holding an blaster.  
- Your reasons for save Cooper are unknown to me, but that was a big mistake from you, luckily it will be the last you will ever make. - Clockwerk said.  
- I don't think so Clockwerk.  
- You may fight with Cooper, but I will be the one to give him the coup de grace.  
- Cooper, try to get Kitty out of here, I'll distract Clockwerk and his pack of idiots. - Jack Rabbit said.  
- But why? - Sly asked.  
- I don't like you but Kitty does, so be a real man and save your woman, ringtail.  
Sly nodded and went running to where Kitty was lying unconscious, while Jack did everything in his power to distract Clockwerk as much as he could. However, the Fiendish Five didn't seem to pay much attention to Jack because they were decided to finish Sly and Kitty. But our dear ringtail wasn't going to let them kill him and his girlfriend without a fight.  
Panda King shot two fireworks at Sly, who dodged them without any difficulty, then Mz Ruby tried to shot him with another voodoo energy beam, but the raccoon ducked once again. Sly ran faster and lunged at Panda King, the youngster whacked him in the head hard and left him unconscious. Then Sly evaded another voodoo beam and slammed his cane's hook on Mz Ruby's stomach. Then Muggshot tried to land a punch on Sly, but the raccoon crouched and slipped through his legs, then he climbed up his back and slammed him in the head with his cane. Unfortunately, Raliegh was ready to counterattack any of Sly's moves.  
Sly ran as fast as he could, with the intention of kicking Raliegh in the face, but the machinist of the Fiendish Five caught Sly's ankle with his tongue and slammed him against some boxes. Sly grunted and coughed some blood before getting up and glaring at Raliegh.  
- Is that all you got? - Sly asked mockingly.  
- Well, if I didn't crush your body, perhaps I should try crushing your heart! - Raliegh said while turning to Kitty's unconscious body.  
The mischievious frog took out a small jar, he opened it and released a bee, he caught the bee with his tongue and swallowed it. Then the frog bloated and smirked at Sly, before jumping to try to crush Kitty. Sly ran as fast as he could, he slipped and grabbed Kitty before Raliegh could crush her.  
- You will not escape from us, Cooper! - Raliegh said in a hoarse voice.  
Raliegh jumped again and tried to crush both teenagers again, but Sly rolled out of the way, with Kitty still in his arms. The machinist tried that other four times, and then he went to his normal self. Before he could take out another bee, Sly took his cane and whacked Raliegh, knocking him out almost immediately.  
Sly was going to smile, but a sudden cry of pain made him turn around and watch as Clockwerk slashed Jack's chest with his talons. Then, the hideous owl started to charge energy in his eyes, to shot a very powerful energy ball that would end Jack's life.  
Just before the energy ball could hit Jack, Sly slipped and grabbed Jack, taking him out of the way. Jack opened his eyes a bit and saw Sly panting.  
- Why did you saved me? - Jack asked.  
- You did the same for me, now we're even. - Sly panted out.  
Clockwerk saw Sly, and immediately shot an electric ring at him and Jack. Sly threw Jack out of the way and let the ring hit him.  
Clockwerk knew that Sly was completely knocked out, so in order to hurt him emotionally, he turned around and saw Kitty over some boxes.  
He also saw a barrel of acid near her. Clcokwerk smirked and flew to the barrel, picking it up in his talons, to drop the contents over Kitty.  
Sly slowly recovered consciousness, he blinked a few times and shaked his head to accomodate his ideas. When the blurriness in his eyes finally went down, he gasped him horror at what Clockwerk was planning to do with his girlfriend. He felt a fit of rage and grabbed his cane. He ran with all his strenght left and jumped, the hook in his cane pierced the barrel a bit and he pulled it away from Kitty with all his strenght. Unfortunately, some of the acid within the barrel leaked out and slipped over Sly's cane, reaching the thief's hands. Sly was wearing gloves, but his gloves weren't thick enough to protect his skin and fur. Sly threw the barrel and dropped his cane while hissing and grunting in pain. The young thief looked at his hands, noticing that his fur and skin had been burned by the acid inside the barrel. Ignoring his injuries, he tried to take his cane, but he dropped it again immediately while hissing in pain.  
- You are really smart and lucky, Cooper, but your life will end here. - Clockwerk said while glaring at the raccoon.  
Sly backed away, while clenching his teeth, both in pain and fear. "I did everything I could, I'm sorry Kitty, I couldn't protect you," Sly thought while closing his eyes and awaiting for his death.  
However, Clockwerk screeched in surprise when another blast hit him in the head, stopping him right in front of Sly.  
- I don't think so, Clockwerk! - Kitty yelled, while holding an smoking blaster in her hands.  
Clockwerk glared daggers at Kitty, he was completely angry, knowing that just three teenagers had defeated the Fiendish Five.  
- HOW DARE YOU?! - Clockwerk yelled.  
- I will not let you kill Sly! - Kitty replied while pointing at Clockwerk with her blaster.  
Clockwerk flapped his wings, which sent both youngsters back. Kitty fell on her butt, just like Sly, they both stood up and glared at Clockwerk.  
- Face it, scrap metal! We won! - Sly said.  
- You will NEVER defeat me, Cooper! - Clockwerk snarled.  
Clockwerk sent an electric ring towards Kitty, who could dodge it, but she dropped her blaster and fell over some acid, at least her hands did. Kitty let out a hiss of pain and drew her hands close to her chest.  
Clockwerk seized Kitty's distraction, so he shot two energy balls from his eyes to the ceiling above the trainee. Kitty heard some loud noises above her, she raised her head and saw that the ceiling was going to collapse over her.  
- KITTY! - Sly yelled while he ran to where his girlfriend was.  
Clockwerk was going to attack our favorite ringtail thief, but the sounds of sirens stopped him. He glanced at a broken window and saw some lights, signaling that the police and the rest of TUFF had arrived.  
- We shall meet again, Cooper raccoon. - Clockwerk said.  
The mechanical bird screeched and woke up Muggshot, Raliegh, Mz Ruby and Panda King from their unconsciousness.  
- We must leave now. - Clockwerk stated.  
- What about Cooper? - Muggshot asked.  
- He will come to us someday.  
The Fiendish Five sneaked out of the warehouse, just a few moments before the PPD and TUFF arrived at the place, all of them holding guns in their hands.  
- Hands up Cooper! - Yelled a TUFF agent.  
Sly ignored the agent and kept tossing rubble left and right, while hissing in pain because of his acid burns, till he finally found Kitty. Unconscious again but alive. He took her out of the rubble and carried her in his arms.  
- I need an ambulance! - Sly yelled.  
- What did you do to her?! - A police officer asked in astonishment.  
- He tried to protect her against the Fiendish Five. - Jack said while holding his left arm.  
- How do you know that? - Herbert Dumbrowski asked.  
- I saw him, the Fiendish Five were here just a few moments ago.  
- The Fiendish Five?! - Everyone asked in unison.  
- Yeah, Cooper protected Kitty and saved my life. - Jack said while standing at Sly's right. - The least we can do is let him go, just today.  
- Ok, come here, you three will need medical assistance. - A police officer said while everyone put away their guns.  
Sly and Jack walked at the ambulance, once Kitty was on an stretcher, and his hands were properly healed, he went to Jack and asked:  
- Why did you help me?  
- You saved my life and protected my partner, it was the least I could do. - Jack responded as a matter of factly.  
- Thanks.  
- There's no need, I don't like to owe anything to people, especially criminals.  
Jack went inside the ambulance, followed by Sly.  
A few hours later, Sly was inside the General Hospital of Petropolis, in Kitty's room to be exact. Sly looked at her laying in her hospital bed, she had not waken up since the incident.  
- I'm sorry you had to go through all that Kit. - Sly said softly.  
He got near his unconscious girlfriend, he kissed softly her forehead and left a rose with a Cooper calling card over her chest.  
- I'm really sorry but I can't be your boyfriend anymore, I would never forgive myself if anything bad happened to you. - Sly said while he turned his back and headed to the window. - I just hope one day you can forgive me.  
Sly opened the window, took his cane and jumped through the window, with the intentions of leaving Petropolis for good.

(Present time)

- How could you?! - Jing asked Mz Ruby while pointing a threatening finger at her.  
- I was evil at that time, but Cooper helped me and gave me his hand, even after all the horrible things I did to him and the kitten. - Mz Ruby said. - I'm sorry Cooper, I hope you can forgive me.  
- It's in the past, I can forgive you for that, but not for what you did to my parents. - Sly said while wipping a few tears.  
- I forgive you too Ruby, and you too Sly. - Kitty said while imitating Sly.  
- I should say the same, but I don't know, you two betrayed my trust. - Carmelita said.  
- It's ok Carm, at least you're not angry anymore.  
- I'm still angry, but at least I won't kill you two during your sleep.  
- That's relieveing. - Sly said with a weak smile. - What about you Dudley? Are you still mad at Kit and me?  
- Kind of, thanks for protecting her. - Dudley said.  
- Um... you're welcome?  
- I still don't get it, if Jack and you were on the same side that night, why does he hates you so much? - Barton wondered.  
- I don't know, maybe because I won Kitty's heart and he didn't.  
The Guru spoke and everyone glanced at him, after everyone nodded, the looked at the two infiltrators.  
- Well, my master's right, we should also forgive you. - Murray said.  
- Hey Bentley, can you invent some kind of translator so I can understand what the Guru is saying? - Kitty asked.  
- I'm sorry but I can't, you'll have to ask anyone for translation. - Bentley said.  
- Well, now that that matter is closed, we should get back to the other matter, clean our names and stop the unnamed criminal association. - Sly said.  
- We have to find Keswick, but to do that, we'll have to find the unnamed criminal assocition's hideout. - Herbert said. - Can't we invent a name for them so we don't have to say "the unnamed criminal association" everytime we mention them?  
- Well, the writer's out of imagination for names. - Dudley explained.  
- Let's get back to business, we're gonna need more help if we're going to find the UCA's hideout. - Scarlett said. - Any suggestions?  
- Um... I could call my siblings, but they're gonna flip once I tell them that this is the Cooper Gang. - Carmelita said.  
- Why? - Jing asked.  
- Carlos is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Mexican Army, Camila is part of the Federal Preventive Police of Mexico, and Cecilia is an AFI agent.  
- Ah-fee? - Eveyone asked.  
- It means Federal Agency of Investigation, like the FBI but Mexican.  
- I think my twin sister wouldn't mind joining us, she's more open-minded than me. - Kitty said.  
- My cousin Cleo could give us a hand. - Dimitri said.  
- I'll call my brother Dylan. - Dudley said.  
- I guess that should be enough people for the next step. - SLy said.  
- What are you talking about? - Carmelita asked.  
- I have an idea, but first you all have to do exactly what I tell you. 


	8. Disbandment

Evil says: I'm sorry pals, but this is no new chapter, it's just that I'm so stupid that I confused a feq things wth Cleo.

* * *

Chapter 6.- Disbandment.

(Evil warns.- This chapter contains violence, vulgar and offensive language and some other things you may not like. I strictly warn that if you read below is under your own risk, so any flames, bad comments, or any of the kind will be punished with 23 and half eternities in Hell. NO EXCEPTIONS!)

(Thirty years ago)

Connor Cooper was running, he had just robbed a valuable painting from the Petropolis Museum, and now he was being chased by his rival and AFI Agent working for Interpol, the Detective Ramiro Fox.  
- Freeze Cooper! - Ramiro yelled while pointing his gun at Connor.  
- C'mon Ramiro, you've chased me since the first time I went to Guadalajara when I was eighteen, and you've never even laid a hand on me since then. - Connor said.  
- Freeze thief. - Said a male cat with tan fur, black short hair and green eyes, who was wearing a blue coat, a black shirt, blue jeans and dark brown shoes.  
- What's with you cops and all the "freeze thief!"? - Connor asked both the cat and Ramiro.  
- Hand over the painting and I may lessen your stay at jail. - The cat said.  
- Get away, he's my criminal, pal. - Ramiro said.  
- That's Special TUFF Agent Alexander Katswell for you.  
- Well, I'm AFI Agent Ramiro Fox, working for Interpol to catch Connor Pooer and his gang.  
- Yeah, and I'm Master Thief Connor Cooper, and I must say tht no cop has ever even laid a hand on me. - Connor said mockingly.  
- You're just a dirty thief, so shut up. - The AFI Agent said.  
- Are you serious? - Alexander said. - Are you really playing his game?  
- Well...  
- C'mon pal, loose up a bit, we're gonna do this a lot the next three months, so we can have a good time doing our respective jobs.  
- I don't have fun with criminals, I just catch them.  
- Too bad, I just steal, I don't get caught.  
And with that said, Coonor jumped from the rooftop in which they were, making the law agents gasp, thinking Connor had suicided. They went to the railing and glanced at the ground, just to see Connor waving them goodbye while he and his gang made their escape in a blue van.  
- See ya later Agents! - Connor yelled.  
Ramiro and Alexander growled under their breaths and cursed the lucky raccoon.

(Present time)

The gang was in the dining room sitting around the table with some pictures, all of them of places in which they've pulled off heists or operations, villains and hideouts. All the Gang members are listening to Sly's plan, little did they know that there was a "bug" in the room.  
- Did you guys get it? - Sly asked while he finished explaining his plan.  
- Kind of, your plan is really messy Sly. - Dudley said while scratching his ear.  
- It's complicated, but I guess nobody would be expecting a plan like this from you. - Carmelita said nonchalantly.  
- Thanks sweetheart, I love you too. - Sly said while narrowing his eyes at the vixen.  
- Don't push your luck Sly, I'm still angry at you and Kitty. - Carmelita said while pointing her shock pistol at Sly.  
- We should go to sleep, let's retake this in the morning. - Bentley suggested.  
- Ok (Yawn) G'night pals. - Dudley said while stretching.  
- Night buddy. - Sly said while waving slightly.  
Everyone stood up and went to their respective rooms, which they sorted a few hours ago.  
Sly went to the living room and saw a window, then he headed to it and opened it to then lean against the frame of the window.  
- Hard day huh? - Kitty said while popping behind our dear raccoon.  
- You can't even imagine it. - Sly replied.  
- Of course I can Sly, I'm the other half of the problem.  
- Right, sorry, I just have a lot in my mind right now.  
- It's alright, I feel just like you, the cold stare that Carmelita gives me everytime she looks at me, the slight frown that Dudley has when he...  
- Yeah I know, it's horrible what we did.  
- Not as horrible as what we hide under our gloves.  
- Hehe, maybe you're right. - Sly chuckled.  
Sly and Kitty were leaned on the frame of the window in the hideout, both were gazing at the clear sky.  
- Do you think they'll trust us again? - Kitty asked with great concern.  
- I don't know for sure, we really did a number in their minds, making them think that we hid something really nasty and then our parts of the story.  
- Will we be able to clean their names at least?  
- If you and everyone agrees to my plan, maybe.  
- I know they won't agree Sly, your plan is messy, really complicated and maybe some of us won't survive if we manage to pull it off.  
- Do you have any better ideas?  
- Actually, now that you say it, yes, I have a few ideas that could make your plan better.  
Kitty whispered a few things in Sly's ear. While he heard Kitty's whispers, his eyes sparkled in revelation, how hadn't he seen it before?  
- What do you think? - Kitty asked.  
- Kitty, you're a genius! - Sly said while grabbing her. - Maybe the plan got a lot more complicated, but I'll eat a plasma grenade if it doesn't work!  
And with that said, raccoon and cat met lips in a lovely kiss. However, fate had seemed to be against them.  
- Ok, what's with all the noise?! I can't... - Carmelita said while walking down the staircase of the hideout.  
Our dear vixen froze as her mind needed a few seconds to reboot. Then she felt her blood boiling, she roared and lunged at Kitty with a flying kick. Kitty fell to the ground, and then when she tried to turn, Carmelita grabbed her by her hair and slammed her face in the ground.  
- You dirty, no-good, backstabbing bitch! - Carmelita said, remarking each word with a head slam.  
The rest of the Gang heard all the conmotion and went down the stairs as fast as they could. Once they got to the living room, they gasped when they saw Sly trying to pry Carmelita's death grip off of Kitty's hair.  
- What's going on here?! - Bentley asked looking terrified.  
- I'll tell you what's going on here! - Carmelita said while kicking Sly off of her and releasing her grip on Kitty's hair. - That hideous slut was kissing Sly!  
Everyone gasped at the revelation, then Dudley roared and lunged at Sly, kicking him in the chest. Sly was sent backwards and he crashed over Bentley's stuff. Sly tried to grab his cane but Dudley took it first and pointed it at the thief's neck.  
- You! - Dudley said with a death glare towards the raccoon. - We gave you the benefit of the doubt and you backstab us once again!  
- No, I-I just... - Sly stammered.  
Then, the front door is kicked open, revealing a group of villains being led by McCullen.  
- Sorry to drop unannounced Cooper, but I think you owe me a rematch. - Said McCullen with a smirk.  
Sly bared his teeth at the villains, just like the Gang did a few seconds later.  
- Raliegh. - Mz Ruby said.  
- Tsao. - Said Jing while glaring at the old General that had kidnapped her and her father's former ally.  
- Snaptrap and Dr Rabies. - Said Dudley while still holding Sly's cane.  
- Jack and Madame Catastrophe. - Said Kitty while wipping her mouth of a bit of blood.  
- Rajan and Muggshot. - Murray said while clenching his fists.  
- Neyla and the Contessa. - Said Carmelita while taking her shock pistol.  
- McCullen and Le Paradox. - Sly said while glaring at his newest rivals.  
- Indeed, Cooper Gang, we thought that this little "discussion" would be the perfect opportunity to finally obtain what we are all looking for. - Le Paradox said.  
- You are so not going to have my cane. - Sly said.  
- We will see about that, Mr. Cooper. - McCullen smirked.  
The English assassin lunged at Dudley and kicked him in the gut, while grabbing Sly's cane with his right hand.  
- Thanks for the gift, seriously, it was not necessary. - McCullen said while smirking evilly.  
- GIVE ME BACK MY CANE! - Sly yelled while he lunged at McCullen.  
- COME AND GET IT IF YOU CAN! - McCullen said while he got in battle stance.  
The villains lunged at the Cooper Gang, Penelope dealt with Le Paradox, Murray engaged Muggshot in a fist fight, Carmelita fought with Neyla, Scarlett fought with Jack Rabbit, Jing shot fireworks at Tsao, Barton lunged at Snaptrap, Mz Ruby fought with Raliegh, Bentley fought with Madame Catastrophe, Dimitri used his old electric ring against Rajan, Herbert joined Barton in his fight against Snaptrap, and Dudley, Kitty and Sly fought their doppelgangers. All the while the Guru was using his Dreamtime Spirit Magic to heal all the members of the Cooper Gang.  
The hideout became a complete war zone.  
Blasts, energy balls, voodoo energy beams, fireworks, shock shots and bombs were flying everywhere, hitting each person in the hideout. But only one was having trouble in trying to defeat his opponent, and that one was Sly, because McCullen was using his cane.  
McCullen swung the cane and hit Sly in his side, knocking the air out of him. Sly glared at the evil raccoon and double-jumped over him, then Sly made a roundhouse kick that hit McCullen on the back. McCullen grunted and turned to try to hit Sly on the head with the cane, but Sly evaded and activated his electro-glove. Sly punched his doppelganger and sent him against Le Paradox. Rajan got distracted and Dimitri hit him with his tail, making the tiger trip and fall over the Contessa. Scarlett seized Jack's distraction and made a backflip, kicking Jack on the chin, making him fall over a coffee table. Mz Ruby launched a voodoo energy beam at her former friend and sent him crashing against Muggshot. The former member of the Fiendish Five barely felt anything, but he got distracted enough for Murray to give him a very hard punch on the chin, knocking him out immediately. Snaptrap saw that the fight was almost over for the villains, so he tried to make an escape but Herbert and Barton stopped him by making him trip over Tsao. Bentley grabbed Catastrophe with the arms of his wheelchair, the he threw her over the pile of defeated villains.  
All the villains were defeated, except for one.  
McCullen took Sly by the neck of his shirt with the Cooper cane and then the assassin slammed him hard into the ground. Sly grunted and fell over his back, then he rolled out of a whack that McCullen made with his cane, he stood up and was kicked in the back, making him crash against a cabinet in front him. Sly turned and McCullen pointed his cane at his neck.  
- Face it, Cooper! - McCullen said mockingly to everyone's surprise. - You could not defeat me with your cane, much less now that I have it!  
- You... you may have my cane, but I can still fight with many kinds of weapons. - Sly said while wiping another drop of blood coming from his mouth.  
Sly carefully opened one of the drawers in the cabinet, pulling out a small, bluish object.  
- I still have one weapon, courtesy of my old pal Jack Skellington. - Sly said while pulling out a green mass of the small object, which attached to his wrist.  
- You have nothing that can save you now, Cooper. - McCullen said with an evil grin.  
McCullen raised the cane and tried to whack Sly on the head, but something unexpected happened.  
- Soul rubber! - Sly yelled while moving his arm towards McCullen's legs.  
McCullen was taken aback not only by Sly's sudden action, but also when he felt that something was dragging him by his ankle. Sly made a turn and slammed McCullen face-first against a wall. Everyone's mouth dropped agape and noted that the green mass was the thing responsible for saving Sly from a certain death.  
- And now I know why he loves it so much! - Sly said while showing everyone his new weapon.  
McCullen was angry, somehow Sly's luck had saved him again from certain death. The evil raccoon wiped his mouth of a bit of blood and turned to face Sly.  
- You can't beat me anyway Cooper. - McCullen said while whirling Sly's cane in his hands.  
- Let's find that out. - Sly said while preparing the soul rubber.  
"I know you hate me, and certainly I hate you too, but I really need your help to defeat this assassin, rubber," Sly thought while glancing at the green mass in his wrist.  
McCullen tried to hit Sly, but he moved away and hit McCullen in the face with the soul rubber. McCullen turned and evaded a whiplash from Sly. Then the villainous raccoon kicked him in the gut and hit him in the chin with his cane.  
Sly grunted and grabbed a lamp with the soul rubber, he threw the object at McCullen, who used the cane to break the lamp before it could hit him. Then, Sly grabbed one of Bentley's bombs and threw it at McCullen, who swung it back with the cane, so Sly eveloped the explosive and it exploded inside the soul rubber.  
"Damn it! I could have beat him already if he did not have that thing in his wrist!" McCullen thought.  
"Great! I'm still alive and kicking! God bless you Jack Skellington!" Sly thought cheerfully.  
McCullen snarled and pulled out his dagger, Sly did some thinking and pulled out a kunai from his leg pouch.  
- That green mass may have improved your combat skills, but mine far surpass your own, Cooper. - McCullen said.  
- It's called the soul rubber, and we think you're wrong, McCullen. - Sly said with a cunning smirk.  
The others were watching the two raccoons fight with each other, they were too amazed by their abilities to do anything else.  
McCullen got in combat stance and Sly did the same, transforming the soul rubber in a sword.  
"That weapon of his is really interesting, once I finish him, I will claim it as a prize" McCullen thought in his mind while smirking diabolically.  
Both lunged back at combat, McCullen swung the cane but Sly blocked it with the sword, then the thief tried to embed his kunai in McCullen's arm, but the assassin blocked it with his dagger. They tried to push each other back, but their strenghts were matched.  
- You can not win this time, Cooper! - McCullen said while gritting his teeth.  
- That's what you think pal! - Sly replied.  
Sly and Lancelot pushed each other back and tried to attack with their hand blades, making a small cut on each other's cheek. They glared at each other and attacked with the long weapons, creating a few sparks from them. Sly kneed McCullen in the stomach and punched him in the face, but the assassin made a backflip, kicking him in the chin with both his feet. Then McCullen landed on his hands, he reincorporated and punched Sly in the face twice, he made a scratch in his right arm with his dagger and kneed him on the chin, making him fall backwards.  
The gang gasped as they watched their leader fall, but Sly transformed the soul rubber in a wrecking ball and threw it at McCullen's stomach with all his strenght, making him fall backwards as well. Both raccoons hit the ground hard, they groaned and stood up again.  
- You may have won this battle, but you lost the war Cooper. - McCullen said while smirking.  
- What in the name of the Force are you talking about? - Sly asked, quite confused.  
- While we fought my "teammates" made their escape, and now it is my turn to do my own. - McCullen said while he strapped Sly's cane to his back.  
- Give me back my cane you lousy, no-good, second-hand copy of myself!  
- Just for calling me a copy, I will not... - McCullen said. - Hm, I was not going to do it anyways.  
McCullen threw a few smoke bombs at the floor and ran to the door. The soul rubber transformed into a fan and Sly waved it to clear out the smoke. Outside the wrecked hideout, McCullen jumped inside a black car with Sly's cane on his back.  
- Sped off already! - McCullen snapped at Jack Rabbit, who was driving the car.  
- YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY! - Sly yelled while he ran after the vehicles.  
The villains mocked of Sly's poor attempt to catch up with them. Little did they know, Sly's new weapon had other thing in mind.  
- SOUL RUBBER! - Sly yelled while flunging the green mass at a flagpole.  
McCullen was the first in notice that the soul rubber had attached to a very far flagpole, and that meant that Sly could pull the mass and be launched to the vehicle in which he was.  
- Accelerate you freaking idiot! - McCullen snapped at Jack.  
- Why? - Asked the former TUFF Agent.  
- Just do it if you want to be rich!  
Jack stomped his foot on the throttle and the car accelerated, followed by other two. Sly saw them and pulled the soul rubber with even more strength. The raccoon flew through the air, he whirled and flung the rubber again at another flagpole.  
McCullen glanced at Sly and bared his teeth, then he pulled Jack out of the driver's seat and drove the car.  
- Let's see what you got, Cooper. - McCullen snarled through gritted teeth.  
McCullen pushed the throttle even more and the vehicle went even faster. Though Sly was not even near giving up.  
The raccoon kept flying and whirling while trying to catch up with the villains.  
"This certainly wasn't part of the plan me and Kitty made just a few moments ago," Sly thought while he flung the rubber at the corner of a building.  
Sly flew thorugh the air and made some calculations to fall on the black car which was being driven by McCullen.  
- Cooper is about to catch us! - Snapped Dr Rabies. - Do something, McCullen!  
- How about this! - McCullen said while stomping on the brake.  
All three cars stopped dead in their tracks, and Sly fell to the ground, not too hard but the big hit was yet to come.  
- Die Cooper! - McCullen said while he sped off his car.  
Sly had only seconds to react, so he made some sort of shield between his body and the car about to run over him. Fortunately, the hit was really softened by the rubber, so he was only unconscious by the hit.  
- Darn it! - McCullen said while he slammed his fist on the wheel. - Oh well, at least we have the cane.  
The villains laughed and left Sly on the street, completely motionless.  
The gang had hopped aboard the van and the TUFF Mobile, and they were trying to find Sly. However, when they found him he was unconscious in the middle of a street. They all stepped outside the vehicles and formed a circle around Sly.  
Sly regained his consciousness just a few seconds after his former friends found him, and I said former because...  
- This is just a bit of what you deserve for backstabbing us again, Cooper. - Dudley and Carmelita said with derision.  
- Do... Does anyone... has my... my cane? - Sly asked while he tried to get up.  
- No, McCullen and the others got away with it. - Jing said. - I'm so sorry Mr Cooper, I hope we can...  
- No, there's no more "we". - Bentley said. - Sly has made his last mistake.  
- What the hell do you mean Bentley? - Sly asked while glaring at his former life-long friend.  
- You certainly just wanted to keep your cane, your vault and your legacy safe, but you didn't even know that if we didn't come to find you we'd be dead by now.  
- That's not true Bent, Sly would never do that. - Murray tried to convince Bentley.  
- Think whatever you want Murray, Bentley's right, they blew up the safehouse a few moments ago. - Kitty said. - I can't believe we put our trusts in you.  
- (Sarcastic chuckles) None of you know what is stored in the vault, there's more than just my family tresure, some of the worst weapons in the whole universe are inside it, weapons designed by Bentley! - Sly said.  
- We had to have something to overthrow the Empire! - Bentley snapped back. - You and the other six left us defenseless against the SEOs!  
- Alright, if that's what you think, I'll just go and solve this by myself. - Sly said while he flung the rubber at the rooftop of a building.  
- Sly wait! - Penelope, Scarlett, Jing, Murray, Mz Ruby and Dimitri said.  
Too late, the raccoon had pulled the rubber and he flew towards the building.  
- Why do you want him?! - Bentley yelled at them.  
- Cooper was unpolite with ya, but I saw no reason for you two to get into such an argument. - Mz Ruby said.  
-Shut the hell up, Ruby!  
- You're the biggest jerk I've ever seen Bentley. - Penelope said with tears in her eyes.  
- I can't belive you did that to the cracker-box, you're so uncool, turtle dude. - Dimitri said.  
- He was supposed to be one of our friends, we are the Cooper Gang! - Jing said.  
- Yeah Bentley, Sly did a lot of things to save us, I can't believe you just turned your back on him. - Murray said with a shocked look.  
- I may not know him too much, even though he's my family, but I know Sly would never do such a thing to any of us. - Scarlett said.  
- We're not the Cooper Gang anymore, I'm leaving. - Carmelita said while she started walking.  
- Me too. - Dudley said.  
Dudley and Carmelita got inside the TUFF Mobile and left, while Murray, Penelope, the Guru, Dimitri and Jing watched them in shock.  
- Goodbye, "Cooper Gang". - Kitty said.  
Kitty went in the same way were the villains had gone after running over Sly, she had she arms crossed and a scowl.  
- You can change your mind Murray, come with me and we'll have a new start. - Bentley said while offering Murray his hand.  
Murray slapped Bentley's hand away from him and stood his ground.  
- I won't change my mind Bentley. - The hippo said while folding his arms.  
Bentley looked at Penelope, as if he was expecting some kind of answer from her.  
- I won't go with you, what you did to Sly was horrible, this is our second breakup. - Penelope said.  
Bentley huffed and left, leaving a disbanded gang without most of their comrades.  
To say that Murray was devastated was a misunderstanding, there are just no words to describe the look on his face, he was angry, sad and confused, all at the same time.  
In an attempt to make him feel better, Dimitri spoke.  
- So Big Guy, what's the plan of action-reaction this time, my main man bro?  
- I dunno pal, Bentley and Sly used to do the thinking stuff, I'm just the brawn. - Murray said half-heartedly.  
- C'mon Big Guy, I can think just about the same plans that Bentley. - Penelope said, half offended.  
- I know, it's just that it'll be weird not to see Sly nor Bentley around.  
- Right now our biggest problem is to find a place to spend the night. - Mz Ruby said.  
- Lemme make a lil' call, my friend Cleo lives not too far from our position, she can give us a hand and help us get the ringtailed cracker-box back. - Dimitri said while he pulled out his cellphone.  
- I hope she can give us a place to stay while we try to make another plan, without Sly, Bentley, Carmelita, Kitty and Dudley, our prior plan won't work. - Penelope deduced.  
- What happened to Barton and Herbert anyway? - Scarlett asked.  
- We're here, but the author keeps putting us just as fill-in characters. - Herbert said.  
- Well, it's done, Cleo's gonna give us a hand and a safehouse, she also agreed to help us with the villains problem. - Dimitri said while he stuffed his cellphone in his pocket.  
The Disbanded Cooper Gang sighed and let Dimitri led the way to Cleo's house.  
But they didn't knew that somebody was watching their every move.  
- Hmm, this certainly makes everything easier for us. - Said the hidden criminal to himself while he watched a screen with the Cooper Gang walking away.  
Suddenly, a com link opens, showing McCullen's face on a corner of the scrren.  
- Hey there, we got a situation. - McCullen said.  
- Why? What's the matter, McCullen?  
- We found Bentley Wisetrutle and Kitty Katswell, somehow they did not even want to fight with us when they saw us.  
- Capture them, we'll get everything they know about the others.  
- That won't be necessary, we'll join you, if you can clean our names once you get what you want from Sly. - Said Kitty's voice.  
- Why should we trust your word, Kitty? - Jack Rabbit asked.  
- Have I ever told a lie?  
- Besides, Sly deserves this, Dr M was right, he only treated me like a sidekick. - Bentley said.  
- Ok, you'll join us, as long as you tell us everything you know about your old friends. - The hidden criminal said with an evil smirk.  
- This time the Cooper Gang is finished. - McCullen said.  
All the villains, incluiding Bentley and Kitty, laughed evilly.  
Is this the end of the Cooper Gang?


	9. The Gang vs the UCA

Chapter 7.- The Gang vs the Unnamed Criminal Association.

After a few minutes, the Disbanded Cooper Gang had arrived at Cleo's house, Dimitri knocked on the door and they waited Cleo a few moments.  
Cleo was a frilled lizard with purple hair and a red streak, which meant she was angry.  
- Dimitri, I know we're friends and all, and that I'd do anything to have my payback with the Contessa, but certainly this surpasses all that. - Cleo said.  
- Sorry my frill-necked friend, but there has been some evil dudes that blew up our safehouse, then cracker-box and the turtle dude had an argument, the band disbanded and we had nowhere to go. - Dimitri said.  
- Ok, who are they?  
- We are the Cooper Gang, at least what is left of it. - Murray said with an unpolite and sad tone.  
- Forgive Murray's manners please, it's just that he's been through a lot in the last days. - Jing said. - My name is Jing King, pleased to meet you.  
- I'm Penelope, the RC specialist. - Said Penelope.  
- I'm Barton Barkley, former Chief of the Interpol Offices in Paris. - Said Barton.  
- I'm Herbert Dumbrowski, former Chief of TUFF in the Petropolis Branch. - Hebert said.  
- My name's nobody's business, but everyone knows me as Mz Ruby. - Ruby said.  
- Who's the small guy? - Cleo asked while she pointed the Guru.  
- He's the Guru, he can only speak in an ancient language which only those who have found their spiritual center can understand. - Jing explained.  
The Guru said something in said language, which Cleo could understand, but we don't.  
- Ok, don't worry little guy, I'm not angry with you, Murray, Jing, Mz Ruby, Penelope, Herbert or Barton. - Cleo said before glaring at Dimitri. - But you do owe me big time for this, Dimitri!  
Dimitri held out his hands defensively and flinched. Cleo sighed and let the Gang get inside her house, unaware that their every moves were being watched.  
Once they got inside, Cleo sorted the rooms, which meant that Mz Ruby, Penelope and Jing would share the spare room, Herbert and Barton would sleep with Murray on the living room, and Dimitri had to sleep in the kitchen with a sleeping bag.  
That night they had a lot of trouble in getting the sleep they needed.

(Twenty-nine years ago)

Connor was being chased by Detective Fox and Agent Katswell, over the rooftops on the buildings in Petropolis.  
- Stop there Cooper! - Yelled Alexander.  
- Not a chance pal! - Connor replied.  
Connor, McSweeny and Dr M had stolen a valuable golden statue, McSweeny and M were waiting for Connor in the getaway van, while Connor was trying to lose the agent and the officer.  
But something caught Connor's eye, as well as Ramiro and Alexander's. A white dog with black ears and a black spot over his right eye was fighting with at least ten persons by himself. Though he looked really strong and very capable of dealing with his opponents, Connor, Ramiro and Alexander were men of honor, and seeing someone being outnumbered in a fight was something they didn't like in the slightest.  
All three of them stopped dead in their tracks and went to where the dog was.  
Then, Ramiro and Alexander noticed that Connor was heading there too.  
- What are you doing Cooper? - Asked Ramiro.  
- I'm going to help that fella over there. - Connor replied.  
Ramiro and Alexander looked at each other puzzled, but they shrug it off and kept running towards the dog.  
The dog was throwing punches left and right, even if he was outnumbered, he was capable of dealing with them. Connor had only seen McSweeny fight like that.  
- This is what happens when you try to hurt my family! - The white dog said while he punched a thug in the face.  
- HEY! - Alexander, Connor and Ramiro shouted.  
A few of the thugs that were fighting with the dog turned their faces, and those who did where shocked, blasted and whacked by Ramiro, Alexander and Connor respectively.  
The white dog seized the newcomer's distraction and gave the other thugs a hard punch in the face, knocking them out immediately.  
Just five minutes later, the dog, Connor, Ramiro and Alexander stood victorious in front of a pile of knocked out thugs. Then Connor, Ramiro and Alexander glanced at the dog, who glanced back at them with a confused look.  
- Why did you help me? - The dog asked. - And most importantly, who are you?  
- Well, we helped you because you needed it, and I'm Agent Alexander Katswell of the Turbo Undercover Fighting Force. - Alexander replied while putting his blaster on a holster inside his jacket.  
- I'm Detective Ramiro Fox from the Federal Agency of Investigation, working for the Interpol. - Said Ramiro while putting his shock pistol away.  
- And I'm Connor Cooper, the one and only Master Thief in this planet. - Connor said while putting his cane over his shoulder.  
- Aren't you two supposed to capture that Connor guy instead of help him beat up some idiots I could have defeated by myself? - The dog replied.  
- And why were you fighting with them anyway? - Connor asked.  
- Because they were after my family for some things I did in the past.  
- And you are? - Ramiro asked.  
- I'm David, David Puppy.  
- Well David, you'll have to come with me and tell me the whole story so I can make sure this guys are going to be put behind the bars for a long time. - Alexander said.  
- Ok, but shouldn't you two catch the Master Thief?  
- They've never even laid a hand on me, this time won't be different so I can stay a bit longer, I don't think McSweeny and M would mind about waiting a bit longer than expected. - Connor said.  
- You're really funny Connor, I like your style. - David said while he gave Connor a thumbs-up.  
Alexander and Ramiro growled while David and Connor laughed at their expense. But then David grabbed his side and grunted in pain.  
Connor, Ramiro and Alexander fell silent, then Ramiro spoke:  
- Looks like you'll have to go to the hospital, compadre. - He said with his thick Mexican accent.  
- I-I guess you're right there pal. - David said while still clutching his side.

(Present time)

Meanwhile in the villain's hideout.  
- What could you possibly offer to join us? - Madame Catastrophe asked.  
- And more important, why would you betray them? We won't buy this crap until you explain it. - Neyla said.  
- First off, I was Sly's girlfriend when we were 16, and that jerk left me after the Fiendish Five affair in Petropolis. Then he only wanted to protect his stupid legacy, what kind of friend does that? - Kitty said to Neyla.  
- True, but why would you betray the fat hippo, the little mouse, the dimwitted dog, inspector bossy, the greasy-sweet idiot, and the others? - McCullen asked.  
- They chose their path, they wanted to get that double-crossing raccoon, we don't care what happens to them. - Bentley said in a cold-hearted voice.  
- Hmm... I can see their hate is pure, but I am still not buying it.  
- Look, we can either give the Cooper Gang's weaknesses to you, TUFF or the Interpol. - Kitty said.  
- That won't happen, we will trust you... for now. - Said the hidden criminal. - But what is your price?  
- Cooper behind the bars, if you kill him, the deal is over. - Kitty said.  
- What?! - The other villains said in unison.  
- You heard me, I want to see him rot in jail, that is a bigger torture for him, being the first Cooper that was caught, and the last of his lineage. - Kitty explained as a matter of fact.  
- That is indeed a good punishment for Cooper. - McCullen said with a wicked smirk. - I never thought that "Ms. I have never done anything wrong in my life" would think that way.  
- Everyone can change McCullen, just like when Penelope betrayed me. - Bentley said.  
- You can speak about your lifes later, now... how will we find the Cooper Gang? - Asked the hidden criminal.  
- Penelope and I created some trackers, they're almost indestructible and their signal can't be blocked by anything. - Bentley said.  
- And according to this datapad, Sly is in the Eiffel Tower, and Carmelita and Dudley are going there too. - Kitty said with a pad in her hands.  
The villains laughed evilly and got ready to capture the Gang.

(Back at Cleo's house, the next morning)

Murray awoke at the smell of pancakes, scrambled eggs with bacon. He was hungry since last night, but he hadn't said a single word about it.  
While Penelope and Cleo cooked the breakfast for the gang, Jing was putting the dishes in the tables. She glanced at the couch and noticed that Murray was awake.  
- Oh Murray, you're finally awake. - Jing said happily. - Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, why don't you go wash your face and hands in the meantime?  
Murray smiled a bit at Jing and went to the bathroom. Once inside he sighed heavily and went to the sink to splash some water on his face. After he did so, he grabbed a nearby towel and dried off his face.  
The getaway driver got out of the bathroom and made his way back to the dinning room, where the Gang was already sitting and eating breakfast.  
Jing saw Murray and stood up to show him to his seat.  
- I'm sorry for starting without you, it's just that... - Jing tried to apologize.  
- No problem Jing, it's no big deal. - Murray said with a smile that melt Jing's heart.  
Murray and Jing took seats next to each other and started eating too.  
- So... whatcha gonna do now? - Cleo asked.  
- We don't even know where to begin. - Penelope said after gulping a mouthful of pancakes. - We gotta reunite the gang, find Sly and recover his cane.  
- First things first, let's find Sly and then we'll go for Dudley and Carmelita. - Murray said.  
- How are we gonna find the best master thief in the universe? - Scarlett said.  
- I think I got the solution to that. - Penelope answered before she got up and went to the living room

(A few moments later)

- Bentley and I made some trackers, they can't be blocked by anything and are really difficult to destroy because they're made of forcidium. - Penelope explained while she pulled out an holographic tablet.  
- Where do you get one of those? - Scarlett asked.  
- It's classified, only members of the UNSC have access to Levels 5 to 10 technology. - Murray asked.  
- What's the UNSC? - Cleo asked.  
- Should we tell them, Penelope? - Murray asked.  
- As long as we don't mention anything classified, I think there won't be any problem. - The mouse responded without taking her eyes off of the holo-tablet.  
- UNSC means United Nations Space Command, it's an organization which we keep secret from those who doesn't know it. - Murray said. - The UNSC keeps the peace in the Republic.  
- Tell them later, I think I found Sly. - Penelope said with a smile.  
- C'mon everyone, let's go find him. - Jing said.  
- I think the best right now is if only Scarlett, Herbert, Barton, Dimitri and I go for Sly, the rest of you should stay here and wait, if we need any backup we'll call you.  
- Murray, there's more I got to tell you. - Penelope said. - It appears that Bentley and Kitty's trackers are still on, and they're moving towards Sly's position, as well as Carmelita and Dudley. There's gonna be action for sure over there, you guys can't handle every villain without us.  
- Yeah my main man bro, we're gonna need the help of all our dudes if we wanna get the cracker-box back. - Dimitri let out.  
- Ok, but if there's any problem there you, Jing, Cleo and Scarlett will escape without hesitation nor protests. - Murray said.  
- Ok mom, just get the van ready to go. - Scarlett said.  
Murray sighed and went to get his van ready.

(Later that day)

- Drive faster Murray! Kitty and Bentley are closer than us! - Penelope snapped.  
- Get ready to crack some skulls pals! - Murray said while he made a sudden turn.  
- Where are those weird rifles? - Barton asked.  
- In the boxes dude, try seeking under your seat. - Dimitri said.  
- Who took my daggers?! - Scarlett asked.  
- Dudley buried them before he and Carmelita left. - Herbert said.  
- My spear gun! Where's my spear gun?! - Cleo asked.  
- Ouch! I think here it is. - Mz Ruby said while pulling the spear gun from behind her.  
- There they are! - Murray said when he saw three black cars.  
Murray clenched his teeth and made a sharp turn to try to crash his van against the vehicles, but something caught his eye, better said someones.  
- Kitty and Bentley are with the villains! - Murray snapped at the Gang.  
- And he said I was crazy when I turned against you guys. - Penelope huffed.  
- Penelope, hop on the turret, Barton, you come here and shot through the window. - Murray ordered. - Dimitri, Jing, Scarlett, Herbert, Ruby, you guys are going to attack from the back doors.  
The gang did what Murray had ordered withou hesitation and soon they would engage the villains again.  
"This is tougher than I had expected." Murray thought.  
The villains started shooting at the gang and both groups started a firefight in the middle of a crowd.  
- This wasn't part of the plan! - Penelope said in dispair.  
- You sound just like Bentley, pal! - Scarlett said while she threw a kunai with an explosive seal.  
- Don't compare me to that traitor!  
- Shut up and shoot! - Barton snapped.  
McCullen, Kitty and Bentley were driving the cars that had Jack Rabbit, Madame Catastrophe, Dr. Rabies, Le Paradox, Raliegh, Muggshot, Rajan, the Contessa, Snaptrap, the Chameleon, Bird Brain and the Caped Cod inside, they glared at Murray and tried to collide with the Cooper Van.  
But they didn't know that Murray had an ace up his sleeve.  
- Take this you idiots! - Murray said while he activated the front puncher.  
McCullen's eyes went wide open and tried to move out of the way, unfortunately he couldn't and the puncher sent him backwards at least a hundred meters.  
Bentley and Kitty bared their teeth and pressed a button in the wheel of their respective cars. They roared and their cars shot a missile at the van.  
Mz Ruby put a shield around the van and the missiles couldn't even touch it. Murray drifted and crashed against Bentley's car, sending him against a lamp post.  
- You will never win, Cooper Gang! - Kitty yelled.  
- That's what you think, Unnamed Criminal Association! - Murray said. - Man, we really need a name for them.  
- Forget the name and smash them! - Said Herbert.  
Murray was going to do so, but a big, green and slimy wrecking ball slammed in the front of the black car, sending all its passengers flying.  
The Gang shared confused looks with each other and then they saw that the guilty was none other than Sly Cooper.  
- Going anywhere, "pal". - Sly said while glaring at the invalid turtle.  
- Pretty brave, aren't you Sly? You only mess with those you know you can beat easily. - Bentley said with derision.  
- Then why I decided to take on all of you by myself? - Sly said with a smirk. - I challenge you, just the soul rubber and I.  
- You are really brave, Cooper, but to me it is more like "stupidity". - McCullen said while he pulled out his beloved dagger.  
- Well, you escaped the last time we fought, in my book that's called "cowardice". - Sly replied. - And Bentley and Kitty, your actions are the only thing I don't forgive, and that's treason.  
- Treason is what you did to us. - Kitty replied coldly. - Now you will die.  
Kitty showed her claws and growled at Sly. Suddenly, the TUFF Mobile appeared in view, Dudley and Carmelita jumped out of it with their guns and badges in view.  
- Hands up! You're under arrest! - Carmelita said.  
- By the authority of who, if I may ask? - Jack asked.  
- The Turbo Undercover Fighting Force and the Interpol. - Dudley responded.  
- You were fired, you have no authority. - Neyla mocked.  
- Look at our badges and tell us what they say. - Dudley and Carmelita taunted.  
The Gang and the villains took a closer view at their badges, and they had one thing in common, both said "CHIEF".  
- No way! - Barton and Herbert said.  
- But it's true, we showed proofs of our innocence, and since we were the best that were still active, the International Undercover Fighting Force and the Interpol gave us back our jobs and they promoted us to Chief of our respective branches. - Carmelita said.  
- What she said. - Dudley said.  
- Now, hands up. - Carmelita said.  
- I am truly sorry, but I have to deny your order, Mrs Cooper. - McCullen said with a wicked smirk.  
- Me too Carm. - Sly said while he prepared the soul rubber.  
Carmelita and Dudley shot at McCullen and Sly, who evaded and counterattacked. Sly whiplashed Dudley and McCullen punched Carmelita, which earned him a wrecking ball slam by Sly. Dudley recovered and tackled Sly to punch him in the face, but Sly pushed him off of him and stood up, only to crouch and evade a kick from McCullen.  
The Gang and the other villains began the attack, and all the people around the Eiffel Tower stated running for their lives  
Sly was fighting with Dudley, McCullen and Carmelita; Murray engaged Muggshot and Rajan; Penelope and Jing attacked Le Paradox and Bentley; Mz Ruby and Dimitri fought with Neyla and Raliegh; Cleo and Scarlett fought with the Contessa, Snaptrap and Jack Rabbit; Barton and Herbert fought with Madame Catastrophe and Doctor Rabies; and the Guru used his Dreamtime Spirit Magic on the Chameleon to fight with the Caped Cod.  
- Face it Cooper! - Said McCullen while he pinned Sly to the ground with his dagger in Sly's neck. - You can not win this time.  
- He's going to jail, and so are you, McCullen. - Carmelita said while she shot a shocking round at both raccoons.  
Sly made the soul rubber cover him completely, blocking the electricity from Carmelita's shot, which only affected McCullen. The evil doppelganger fell to the ground unconscious, while Sly stood up and pulled himself to the top of a nearby tree.  
- Stop this Carmelita! I don't wanna hurt you! - Sly said.  
- You already broke my heart! Why'd you care if you break any part of my body! - Carmelita replied.  
- Because I love you!  
- Tell that to the judge!  
Carmelita shot at Sly, who couldn't evade and was shocked.  
Sly's body fell to the ground, not without hitting many branches on the way down, and lost consciousness.  
Carmelita was going to cuff him, but McCullen had recovered and he grabbed her from behind, putting his dagger in her neck.  
- You lose, Chief Fox. - McCullen said.  
McCullen pressed some pressure points in Carmelita's back and the vixen fell to the ground motionless.  
- You will not interfere anymore. - McCullen said with an evil smirk. - Now to take care of Cooper and Puppy. I will finish what my father started.  
- What? - Carmelita said.  
Kitty, Dudley and Sly had also heard what McCullen said and looked at him confused.  
- Dylan Puppy, Connor Cooper, Ramiro Fox and Alexander Katswell. The Righteous Four.  
- How do you know my father's name?! - Kitty, Dudley, Sly and Carmelita asked in unison.  
- My father, Le Paradox' father and the Fiendish Five tried to kill them, and they failed.  
- Well, you and Le Paradox failed in getting rid of me, and I assure you that even if our children continue this, they will fail too.  
McCullen roared and lunged at Sly, kicking him in the face. Then he jumped and punched Dudley in the face. Sly reincorporated and tried to use the soul rubber to whiplash McCullen, but the latter caught the rubber and pulled Sly towards him, where he punched him in the face. Dudley tried to grab his blaster again, but McCullen was faster than him and gave him a sharp kick in the hand, breaking it instantly. Kitty seized the opportunity and attacked Sly mercilessly, who could barely defend himself with the soul rubber.  
And the rest of the gang wasn't doing any better.  
Rajan and Muggshot had managed to make the hippo trip and now they were kicking him in the abdomen; Scarlett and Cleo were cornered by Jack Rabbit, Snaptrap and the Contessa who were pointing at them with blasters; Bentley had transformed his wheelchair into a giant robot and he had defeated Penelope's Mini-Mantis and Jing King; the Chameleon had freed himself from the Guru's control and he and the Caped Cod had him hanging on his walking stick; Barton and Hebert were defeated by Dr Rabies and Madame Catastrophe; and Mz Ruby and Dimitri were beaten by Raliegh and Neyla.  
Meanwhile, Sly was slammed against a tree by McCullen, who had defeated Dudley and Carmelita single-handedly.  
- You were saying, Cooper? - McCullen asked with a smirk.  
Sly looked at McCullen with hate in his eyes, he stumbled to stand up and got ready to keep fighting.  
- Please Cooper, you can't fight anymore. - Kitty said mockingly.  
- Maybe, but I won't give up. - Sly replied with a defiant smirk.  
Kitty and McCullen were about to lunge at Sly, but a sudden roar made them stop short in their tracks. Murray had broken free from Muggshot and Rajan's grip and he had threw them several feet away from him, then he looked at Sly and said:  
- Sly! - Murray yelled. - Take everyone you can and the van! Escape while I distract them!  
- No way Murray! - Jing said. - We're not leaving anyone behind! Not anymore!  
- No time to argue, just go! - Murray said.  
- We'll stay with you Murray! - Herbert and Barton said.  
- None of you is getting away! - McCullen said.  
McCullen lunged at Sly, but he transformed the rubber into a wrecking ball again, so he slammed it into McCullen's abdomen, sending him to crash against Bentley's robot, which fell to the ground and got broken in various parts.  
Kitty lunged at Sly and they started to fight hand-to-hand. Kitty tried to kick SLy on the head, but he blocked her with his arm and threw a punch at her stomach, which was blocked by the former Cooper Gang member.  
They interwined their fingers and tried to push each other back.  
- You can't beat me, Kitty, and you know it! - Sly said while baring his teeth.  
- The past is the past, Sly, now I can beat you! - Kitty replied.  
Sly smirked and lifted Kitty, to then throw her to the ground hard. Kitty grunted as she fell on the ground while Sly made his way to his wife, having to whiplash Le Paradox, Jack Rabbit and Raliegh with the soul rubber.  
He finally got to her and threw her over his shoulder, luckily for him she was still motionless but her mouth could still move.  
- Put me down this instant, ringtail! - Carmelita demanded.  
- Sorry dear, I won't unless you wanna die. - Sly replied.  
Unfortunately, fate was still against our dear raccoon.  
The whiplashed villains had recovered and they were chasing Sly, pointing and shooting blasters at him.  
He thought he was going to make it, but he didn't.  
The villains that chased him had blasted him and Sly fell to the ground, as well as his wife.  
Sly tried to reach his wife, but someone stomped on his head and knocked him unconscious. The attacker was no other than Kitty Katswell.  
- That'll do the trick. - Kitty said with an evil smirk.  
It was now official, the Cooper Gang was defeated, each and every member was totally knocked out. McCullen, Bentley, Kitty and the other villains gathered around Sly and looked at him with sadistic smirks.  
- Should we finish his suffering? - Le Paradox said.  
- We made a deal with Ms Katswell here, Cooper will live the rest of his life in prison. - McCullen said, making the others groan in desparation. - Do not worry, the boss told me to bring as many members as we can back to the hideout, we will interrogate them and obtain some data he wants.  
The villains spread again, this time to catch the main members in the gang. Barton, Herbert, Murray, Scarlett, Dimitri, the Guru, Dudley and Carmelita were tied up and were put in the trunks of the three black cars, the Cooper Van and the TUFF Mobile, the two last vehicles were stolen since Sly was going to be incarcerated and Dudley was tied up in the trunk of the TUFF Mobile.  
The villains scattered again, this time to catch the main members in the gang. Barton, Herbert, Murray, Scarlett, Dimitri, the Guru, Dudley and Carmelita were tied up and put in the trunks of the three black cars, the Cooper Van and the TUFF Mobile, the two last vehicles were stolen since Sly was going to be incarcerated and Dudley was tied up in the trunk of the TUFF Mobile.  
Kitty and Bentley threw a last glance at Sly's unconscious body while McCullen was ranting because the soul rubber had mysteriously vanished when he had gone to reclaim it, their eyes were cold and hard, then they ignited the TUFF Mobile and the Cooper Van respectively to drive away before the police arived at the scene to incarcerate Sly, Jing and Cleo.  
A few seconds after the Unnamed Criminal Association left, Jing regained consciousness, she shaked her head a bit and got up, the first thing she saw was a totalled place, but what hurt her the most was that she couldn't find Carmelita, Dudley, Barton, Dimitri, Scarlett, the Guru, Herbert nor Murray. She fell to her knees and started to cry. Then the young panda heard a bunch of sirens and she knew that she, Cleo and Sly had to get away from there or they would be going to jail for sure. She didn't even know how, but she had managed to put Sly and Cleo over her shoulders, she didn't know she was that strong, but she had no time to ponder on that, she had to escape with her remaining teammates.  
The police arrived at the crime scene, but found nobody, Jing had already gotten away.  
Hours passed and it was now nighttime around nine o'clock, but Jing had finally arrived at the Cooper Gang's temporary hideout, Cleo's house. She opened the door with Cleo's keys and put her friends on the couches to let them regain consciousness. She tried to sit down to rest too, but her tiredness betrayed her and she fainted.

(The next morning)

Sly was slowly regaining his consciousness, he couldn't remember much of what had happened to him and his gang, but he knew it was far away from being just a bad thing. He tried to get up but his body ached horribly. He just rolled over his back and stared at the ceiling as the memories of the prior day were flooding his mind.  
He remembered the fight with Dudley, Kitty, Carmelita and McCullen, he remembered the beating he received and he remembered the worst thing that had passed, most of his friends were now held captive by the Unnamed Criminal Association.  
Then his mind connected a few loose ends and realized that he didn't have to be under a roof, unless he was in jail. The raccoon ignored all his wounds and stood up, he glanced his surroundings and found that he was at a small but comfortable house.  
Then he glanced at the ground and saw Jing lying face down, he ran to her and fortunately found her alive, she was just sleeping.  
Sly sighed in relief and carried her to the couch in which he had awaken. Then he saw a female frilled lizard in the other couch, she was sleeping too.  
- Well, at least they'll be ok. - Sly said to himself while he pulled out his cellphone. - Time to make some calls and get more help.


	10. The Master Plan

Chapter 8.- The Master Plan.

Carmelita felt dazed and had a really bad headache, she could feel something, rather said someone against her back but she didn't know who.  
Her head was throbbing, she could barely bear it but she managed to push herself up. She opened her eyes to glance her surroundings but her vision was blurry, she blinked a few times and her vision got clear. She realized she was on a dungeon, but she wasn't alone, Murray, Dudley, Mz Ruby, Dimitri, the Guru, Penelope, Scarlett, Herbert and Barton were there too.  
- Hm, I can't believe I let them convince me to do this. - Carmelita murmured while she looked at the others.

(The next morning, at Cleo's house)

Cleo, Jing and Sly were having breakfast, as well as eating some seeds which Sly had said that would heal all their injuries in less than a few seconds.  
- How is that possible? - Asked Cleo.  
- Trust me, I've been through a lot of weird things, and I'm speaking from experience. - Sly said.  
- If you say that these seeds will heal my injuries, then I believe you, Mr Cooper. - Jing said politely.  
- You can forget about formalities, we're all friends, you can call me Sly.  
- Ok, Sly.  
- Now, we gotta pull off a heist to get our friends back, the good news is that I managed to get some help, the bad news is that I have no idea where's the Unnamed Criminal Association's hideout. - Sly explained.  
- Penelope left her holographic tablet here. - Cleo said while she pulled out said object.  
Jing and Sly looked at the frilled lizard with confusion, Cleo held out her hands defensively and said:  
- Hey it's not what you think, I only took it because I wanted to give it back to Penelope but I didn't had the chance because of the fight with the UCA.  
- Ok, we get it, don't worry. - Jing said while she took the holo-tablet. - Penelope told us that the tracking devices on us can't be blocked, right?  
- Not with even with Forerunner technology. - Sly said.  
- Good, I'll figure how to use this to track them. - The young panda said. - Sly, are the reinforcements coming?  
- Yes, actually they won't meet us until the heist, I said I'll call them later to meet at the UCA's hideout. - Sly replied. - It's time to finish the Operation: Master Plan.

(Meanwhile at the UCA's hideout)

Everyone was reunited in the conference table, speaking about the interrogatory to the Cooper Gang.  
- We should interrogate them to find where they stashed their loot. I'm sure they have at least a hundred millions. - Jack Rabbit said.  
- We will do that, but I'm more interested on what they know about an organization known as the United Nations Space Command. - Said the hidden criminal.  
- Why would you want to know about the UNSC? - Neyla asked. - For all I know, they're just a bunch of idiotic soldiers that are in an endless war against the insurrectionists.  
- I didn't know the UN had a Space Command. - Dr Rabies said.  
- I thought that UNSC was the acronym for United Nations Security Council. - Madame Catastrophe said. - And I thought there wasn't insurrectionists.  
- The UNSC as I know it isn't suppossed to exist, at least not for five hundred years. - Bentley said.  
- What are you talking about? - Tsao asked.  
- Some years ago there were seven individuals who obtained enough power to merge seven different dimensions, one of them was five hundred years more advanced than us and the UNSC comes from that dimension. - Bentley explained.  
- But if we wanted access you could give it to us, right? - Snaptrap asked.  
- No, I only got access level 4, you'd need a level 8 access code if you wanted to get inside an armory.  
- Now you're talking nonsense. - Said Madame Catastrophe.  
- No, he isn't, I fought with the Pirates of the Black Sun in the Third Galactic Civil War. - Neyla said. - Cooper fought with the UNSC and something known as the "New Republic", they have technology you don't even imagine, if we get our hands on that kind of tech, there'll be no stopping us!  
- Indeed, but I'm only interested in their DNA data base. - Said the hidden criminal. - Imagine the amount of posibilities with more than a million of alien races DNA!  
- Man, you really need a new hobby. - Said Snaptrap.  
- Shut it, Snaptrap. - Said McCullen. - What Neyla said about the technology got my own interest, now I want to know more of this UNSC.  
- First things first, does anyone know if Cooper has gone to jail already? - Asked Bird Brain.  
- Put on the news, I wanna watch Cooper's face when the cops put the cuffs on him. - Said Muggshot with a smirk.  
Raliegh pulled out a control and pressed a button, making a screen appear from the ceiling. The screen was showing the news and to the criminal's luck, it was exactly the news they wanted to know about.  
- ... In other news a firefight took place near the Eiffel tower, between an Unnamed Criminal Association and the criminal group known as the Cooper Gang. - Said the reporter in the screen. - Despite all the efforts of the Police, along with the new Chief of the Paris Headquarters of the Interpol and the new Chief of the Turbo Undercover Fighting Force, both criminal groups escaped and are on the run. It's worth mentioning that also Carmelita Montoya Fox, the Chief of the Interpol, and Dudley Puppy, the Chief of TUFF, are disappeared, it's still unknown if they went after the criminals or if they were kidnapped by them. That's all for the moment, we'll keep you informed when we get more clues to the whereabouts of criminal organizations and the Chiefs disappeared, now the time report with...  
Everyone in the room growled in unison, they took out their blasters and weapons and destroyed the screen while shouting in anger.  
- That stupid raccoon! He always manage to get away! - Kitty cursed.  
- I knew this was going to happen. - Bentley said. - However, I know what his next move will be.  
- It doesn't take a genius to find it out, Cooper, the panda and the frilled lizard are going to come to rescue their friends. - Jack Rabbit said.  
- Yes, but now that will be their biggest mistake ever. - Rajan said.  
The villains smirked and laughed wickedly, thinking that if Cooper went to the rescue, he'd be doomed.  
Little did they know they were very wrong.

(Hours later)

Sly was entering some kind of warehouse through an air vent, he had a determined look on his face, he was going to rescue his friends and protect the world from all the dangerous technology inside the Cooper Vault.  
- Ringtailed Pest in position, everyone else is ready? - Sly asked.  
- Checked RP, begin the mission. - Several voices said over the comm.  
Sly smirked and thought: "I knew this plan was gonna work perfectly."

(Meanwhile with the villains)

- Security Breach. Intruder in Level 2, all villains respond the attack and destroy Cooper once and for all. - Said Bentley over the speakers.  
McCullen heard the alert, he smirked and told his comrades that were assembling a replica of the Iron Mutt suit, only this one was more deadly and had more weapons.  
- Move faster! - McCullen snarled.  
- Try doing this in a hurry, McCullen! - Replied Raliegh.

(Level 2)

Sly fell to the ground with silence thanks to the soul rubber, he looked around the room were he was and saw nothing but darkness.  
Or at least that's what he thought.  
The Contessa, Muggshot, the Chameleon, Jack Rabbit, Madame Catastrophe, Doctor Rabies, Snaptrap, Raliegh, Francisco, Ollie, Larry and Tsao turned the lights on and smirked at the raccoon.  
- Well, Cooper, you really are lucky. - Muggshot said.  
- But fortunately your luck and your life will end here. - Dr Rabies said.  
- Please, you can't beat me. - Sly said while crossing his arms and smirking.  
- They certainly showed they can not, but I have showed you that I can beat you anywhere and anytime. - McCullen said while popping out of nowhere.  
Sly turned to smirk at McCullen but his smirk was short lived when he saw the impressive armor the doppelganger was wearing. Sly's mouth dropped agape and McCullen smirked at the other raccoon's reaction.  
- Well Cooper, it seems this is your end. - McCullen said while raising a hand at Sly's face.  
McCullen aimed some kind of repulsor ray to Sly's head, and thanks to the brightness of the charging beam, he didn't noticed that Sly had pressed a button in his watch and was smirking lightly.  
The repulsor ray hit Sly directly and raised a lot of dust, but everyone could hear the villains, especially McCullen, laughing at Sly's demise.  
If only did they know what had happened.

(Twenty five years ago)

Connor was between a rock and a hard place, both literally and figuratively, because he had found an assassin that was sent to kill him and his wife.  
He had fought with all he got, but James McCullen was way better than him at combat.  
James smirked, as always his prey had tried to escape, but its attempt only led it to the trap.  
- Well, well, well, if it isn't Connor Cooper, the greatest Master Thief of all times. Too bad you're not much of a stand-alone fighter, you'll always be pathetic because you rely on others for your victory. - James said.  
- I'm not ashamed to rely on my friends, they make me stronger and not weaker as you think, McCullen. - Connor shot back.  
- If that's really true, then why am I winning?  
- Because I got delayed with my pup, but don't worry, I'm here to prove you wrong, James. - David said while appearing behind James.  
- Hello David. - James said with a smirk.  
- You know him? - Connor asked the dog.  
- Yeah, he's one of my former teammates, I was part of a special force of assassins, that's why when you, Ramiro and Alexander met me, I was fighting twenty thugs.  
- We got a lot to talk about, my old friend. - Alexander said while jumping from a rooftop.  
- Indeed. - Ramiro said while imitating him.  
- Can you guys just shut up and give me a hand here? - Connor asked sarcastically.  
- Oh please! Not even you, "Righteous Four" together can beat me, Cooper, and you know it. - James said.  
- Why you say that? You know that I am just as good as you at combat. - David said.  
- He says that because he's not alone either. - Said someone with a thick French accent.  
- Indeed he's not. - Said another man.  
- And now we'll finally get rid of you four. - Said a voice with a thick Mexican accent.  
David, Ramiro, Alexander and Connor glance at the fire escape above them and saw that there were a skunk, a wolf and a rat, both smirking evilly at them.  
- What the hell are you doing here, Rodentius Snaptrap?! - Yelled Alexander.  
- My, my, Agent Katswell, someone's on a bad mood. - Rodentius replied.  
- Julián Álvarez, you dirty no-good, stupid, pathetic and also ugly, narco. - Ramiro said.  
- Hola, Inspector, usted siempre tan crédulo (Hello, Inspector, you're as foolish as ever). - Julián said.  
- Jacques Le Paradox, you're just as pathetic as ever. - Connor said.  
- Oh Cooper, you think I'm pathetic? - Le Paradox replied while he gestured someone to bring something. - Then what does that say about your little gang, your dear families, Cooper?  
David, Alexander, Connor and Ramiro gasped when they saw that a few thugs had the people mentioned above gagged and tied. Marina, Diane, Camile, Peg, Dr M and McSweeny had tears in their eyes and were looking at the Righteous Four with desperation, while Dylan, Dudley, Katherine, Kitty, Kelly, Sly, Carlos, Camila, Carmelita and Cecilia were crying because they were really frightened.  
The fear and dispair in the Righteous Four's faces was plain visible, they had somehow gone from being between a rock and a hard place to being with a sword stabbing their hearts.  
- No... Please... - David said while tears were forming in his eyes.  
- Just... Let them go... - Ramiro begged while some tears were running over his cheeks.  
- Why should we? - Asked James.  
- We'll do whatever you say... Just let them go. - Connor begged while he and his friends fell to their knees.  
Snaptrap, Álvarez, Le Paradox and McCullen smirked, they were finally going to get rid of the worst pests they had ever faced.

(Present time)

The smoke was finally clearing out, now the villains would enjoy the view of Sly Cooper's beheaded corpse.  
But something was wrong.  
Instead of a dead raccoon, the villains saw some kind of armor with a sparkling energy shield, standing in the smoke cloud. Once they got a closer view, they noticed that Sly was inside the armor.  
- Surprise, assholes! - Sly said while he took a weird looking rifle from his back.  
Sly took an ammo clip from his belt, he inserted it in the rifle and he started shooting at McCullen, who raised a shield with his own armor.  
To say that all the villains were angry was an understatement.  
Still, McCullen was smirking, he had wanted something like this to happen when he could finally use the armor.  
- You truly never cease to amaze me, Cooper. - McCullen said. - I am impressed you actually have an armor, where did you get it from?  
- The United Nations Space Command, being a General there and have the UNSC Chief Director as your personal friend helps in that kind of situations. - Sly replied while his energy shields were recharging.  
- But you commited a major mistake, your "soul runner" will not be able to help you if you are wearing that thing.  
- It's soul rubber, and this thing is known as a MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor Mark IX. - Sly corrected. - And I wouldn't say that the rubber won't be able to help me.  
- Why you think so?  
- Look at my right wrist.  
McCullen did what Sly had told him and his eyes went wide open when he noticed the green mass in the armor's forearm plate.  
- Still, your armor can not beat mine. - McCullen stated.  
- You're right, my armor is gonna crush yours, no only beat it. - Sly said.  
McCullen snarled and lunged at Sly, who made a backflip and kicked the assassin in the chin, cracking McCullen's helmet.  
Sly was about to smile, but the other villains started to shoot at him with their blasters. Though his energy shields could bare the damage pretty well, he knew that they weren't eternal so he ran like the wind, helped by the armor, and took cover behind some crates.  
Sly reloaded his rifle and waited a few seconds, when he heard that the villains were reloading, he switched the rifle to stun and fired at the villains.  
The Contessa, Muggshot, Jack Rabbit, Dr Rabies, Madame Catastrophe and Snaptrap were hit by Sly's shots and they fell to the ground unconscious. However, the Chameleon, Larry, Francisco, Ollie and Tsao took cover behind a few crates, evading Sly's stunning rounds.  
And with our favorite assassin.  
McCullen has been channeling a big part of his suit's energy to the central power source which was in his chest. Once enough energy was stored in it, he smirked deviously and jumped high in the air, then he pointed the power source at Sly and said:  
- Say goodbye Cooper!  
Sly turned and saw his doppelganger shooting a powerful energy beam at him, he bared his teeth and punched the ground, activating the Armor Lock ability. The beam destroyed a big part of the hideout, but the Armor Lock had saved not only Sly's life but his armor too.  
Once the smoke cleared and the flash ended, McCullen gritted his teeth at the sight of Sly knelt with a fist in the ground with a flickering shield around him. Sly raised his head and smirked at his double.  
- Did you miss me? - Sly said.  
- Truly amazing, Cooper, but definitely pointless. - McCullen said. - You're not getting out of this place alive.  
- That's what you think, one way or another, I'm getting out of here alive and with my friends. - Sly replied.  
McCullen and Sly rushed to attack, this time hand to hand.  
McCullen threw a punch but Sly evaded it and tried to kneed his doppelganger in the abdomen, but McCullen blocked it with his own knee. McCullen threw another punch, and this time he hit Sly in the chest, but his armor's breastplate was really hard and it damaged McCullen's glove, he even felt that he was more hurt than Sly by the punch. The assassin backed away holding his hand.  
- What the hell is your armor made of? - McCullen asked while he hold his hand.  
Sly tapped the breastplate a few times with his fist and said:  
- Forcidium Z, the most resilient metal in the whole universe, it can withstand even plasma-laser shots and break the adamantium.  
- Hmm, looks like this is going to be more interesting right now. - McCullen said while smirking.  
- Why?  
- Look behind you.  
Sly turned and saw that Jack Rabbit, Neyla, Doctor Rabies, Madame Catastrophe, Le Paradox, and Rajan were wearing the same armor that McCullen had. Still, Sly looked at McCullen with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.  
- The more power suit-clad idiots you bring; the more scrap metal I'm gonna make. - Sly said.  
Sly ran at the villains and punched each, denting each villain's breastplates. Then Sly took his rifle again, he switched to killing mode and shot at his enemies. Unfortunately, the villains recovered fast and stood up just in time to raise their energy shields. The rifle's plasma-laser rounds hit energy shields, which the villains raised to protect themselves.  
- It won't be that simple, Cooper. - Jack Rabbit said.  
- Sure it won't, it'll be even easier. - Sly replied.  
All the villains growled and pointed their hands at Sly, shooting him a series of powerful repulsor rays. Sly's shields took most of the damage, but given to the number of beams hitting them, they flickered a few seconds and died, then Sly was thrown hard against a few crates.  
Sly groaned and rolled slowly away from the crates, he stood up groggily and glared at his opponents.  
- Now I am angry! - Sly yelled.  
Somehow, Sly's eyes flickered and showed a green color, as well as his hair turned golden a few moments before a shock of a thousand volts coursed through his body. Sly fell to his knees and his oponents seized his distraction to shoot him their uni-beams. Sly was thrown again, the alarm in his helmet to indicate that the shields were down was booming in his ears, his vision was blurry but still he stood up and took his rifle.  
- My turn. - Sly said while he inserted a fresh clip in his MZ7PL.  
The villains were about to shot their repulsor rays again, but Sly ran like there was no tomorrow and opened fire on the villains.  
Only McCullen, Le Paradox, Rabbit and Neyla raised their shields in time to protect themselves, while the others where hit by the plasma-laser rounds fired from Sly's rifle. The suits weren't made to withstand plasma-laser tech, so immediately after the villains were hit by the shots, their armors started to melt, and fortunately given to Sly's good accuracy, they weren't hit by a missing shot.  
Dr Rabies, Madame Catastrophe and Rajan watched as their armors were reduced to a pile of melted metal, just before Sly punched each, knocking them out.  
Sly turned to glare at his other opponents and said:  
- No more "Mister Nice Ringtail"!  
And with that said, Sly lunged against his four opponents.  
Jack Rabbit tried to punch him, but Sly crouched and headbutted him in the chest, driving the air out of his lungs immediately. Then he lifted Rabbit's body and back-slammed him on the ground hard. However, McCullen seized Sly's distraction and shot his uni-beam at Sly's back, sending him crashing against more crates. Then the evil raccoon activated some machine guns in his wrists and shot at Sly, he also activated a mini-misile launcher and shot one at the thief.  
Sly was hit again, but fortunately the 4-inch thick breastplate withstood the damage with minimum injuries for him. But one could easily tell that the fight was starting to do a number in the armor. Sly stood up, he shaked his head and glared at McCullen again.  
- I've only known a few persons that could actually do this to a MJOLNIR Mark IX, and they're dead because of me and some old friends. - Sly said.  
- Well this time, the one that is going to die is you, Cooper. - Said McCullen.  
- We outnumber you, and certainly we outmatch you. - Le Paradox said.  
- We'll see about that.  
Sly attacked Neyla and Le Paradox, whom tried to shot him with their repulsor rays, their missile launchers and their machine guns, only succeding in hitting the walls, the ground and the air. Sly took a plasma grenade from his belt, he activated it and threw it at Neyla, who couldn't move out of the way, so the grenade stuck to his suit, blowing it up when it exploded. Luckily for the tigress, Neyla was just stunned by the grenade.  
Le Paradox tried to cut Sly with some kind of energy blade, which Sly blocked with a blue lightsaber which was hanging in his belt. Le Paradox tried to drive his blade in Sly's heart, but Sly blocked it and slashed Le Paradox's back and chest with his saber. Le Paradox's suit threw some sparks and it exploded, knocking its wearer out immediately.  
Sly turned off his lightsaber and turned to see his doppelganger, who was smirking.  
- Why are you smiling? - Asked Sly.  
- You may have defeated my stupid teammates, but you will not defeat me. - McCullen said.  
- Why do you think so?  
- Because my suit can do this.  
McCullen charged both his repulsor rays and his uni-beam, which hit Sly directly, denting his armor a bit. Sly crashed against a wall and he broke it down. Then our dear thief stood up weakly, since he had received a lot of damage from the last hits by McCullen, but still, he wasn't giving up yet.  
- Now I'll show you what a real energy beam looks like! - Sly yelled while he raised his right hand and pointed his palm at McCullen.  
The evil doppelganger chuckled and said:  
- I am already aware of your other abilities, Cooper, and I know that you can not...  
McCullen stopped short when he saw that a small blusih energy ball was growing in Sly's palm. His mouth dropped agape.  
- KAMEHAMEHA! - Sly yelled while a bluish energy wave was fired from his hand.  
McCullen shot his repulsor ray, both attacks collided midair and the two raccoons started struggling to push each other's attack.  
McCullen's armor soon ran out of energy and Sly's Kamehameha hit him square in the chest.  
McCullen rejoined and glared at his opponent, he grabbed his cracked helmet and threw it to the ground, then he wiped a trickle of blood coming from his mouth.  
- Is that all?! - McCullen yelled.  
- You're one tough badass, McCullen, but I'm going to beat you. - Sly said with a smirk, while he took off his own helmet.  
- Though I am surprised you actually managed to break the anulator, I know you will be defeated.  
- It's not destroyed, but my armor helps me do the chakra-ki gathering so I don't have to pay the consequences for using those attacks.  
- Pretty smart, Cooper, but useless nonetheless.  
Sly and McCullen lunged at each other again, they were punching, kneeing, kicking, biting and throwing energy blasts at each other. Sly shot another energy wave at McCullen, sending him flying but the villainous raccoon activated his boosters and stayed in the air. Then he shot many missiles at Sly, some of them impacted in the master thief. Sly fell face first into the ground, he stood up groggily and activated his armor's jetpack to be at the same level with McCullen.  
- That armor of yours and the soul rubber got my attention, once I kill you, I will claim them! - McCullen said.  
- The only thing you're gonna claim... - Sly said while he put bth his hands together at his right side. - Is a hospital room!  
Sly threw another energy wave, which was countered by McCullen's uni-beam.  
When both energy beams collided, they sent the two raccoons flying, crashing them against the last crates in the warehouse. However, Sly and McCullen quickly recovered and got back to the fight, McCullen using a blade created by his suit and Sly using his blue lightsaber. The two opponents clashed their blades time and time again, not giving an inch to the other in the slightest. Sly tried to slash McCullen's suit with his saber, but McCullen blocked it and bared his teeth at the thief.  
- You certainly know how to use a sword, Cooper, I am impressed. - McCullen let out while he struggled with Sly.  
- Thanks, but this is just the warm up. - Sly replied.  
Sly smirked wider and attacked McCullen again. McCullen counterattacked and both were trying to destroy each other's power suit. Sly had the upper hand since his armor was made of a more resilient metal than McCullen's suit.  
Both were throwing everything they could, energy waves, repulsor rays, uni-beams, plasma-laser shots, punches, etc.  
In the end, McCullen's suit was too much damaged to keep with the fight. Sly's armor was also dented and damaged, in some parts it was showing its internal circuits. Both were panting and had troubles to keep themselves standing.  
- You're really one tough cookie, McCullen. - Sly said while he panted.  
- I can say the same about you, Cooper. - McCullen said while he smirked.  
- However, this ends now. - Sly said while he smirked.  
McCullen looked at Sly with confusion, he couldn't believe that Sly was so confident about his victory.  
Sly put his hands at his side and started to focus all his energy in them. Once he created a medium energy ball he moved his hands in front of him and yelled:  
- KAMEHAMEHA!  
McCullen put his arms in front of him and tried to cover himself from Sly's attack but his armor couldn't defend him. McCullen ended up stunned and his armor was completely destroyed. Sly smirked and fell to his knees, then he pressed some buttons in his armor's forearm plate, a red light emanated from all the remaining lights in the armor and then it made a hissing sound, after it it separated from Sly's body and fell to the ground, disappearing in the very second every part touched the ground.  
However, the fight was just starting.  
Sly heard footsteps and felt that someone was looking at him, he raised his head and blinked a few times to clear his sight, then he saw that Bentley and Kitty were in front of him.  
- Hello, Sly. - Kitty said with a devilish smirk.  
- How are you doing? - Bentley asked with the same expression.  
- I know why you're here. - Sly said while he struggled to stand up. - But if you think you can beat me just because I'm physically exhausted, you're really wrong.  
Bentley and Kitty smirked wider and lunged against Sly, who flung the rubber at a beam in the ceiling and pulled himself up there. The traitors glared at the raccoon and bared their teeth while the former was smiling cunningly at them.  
- What's the matter? I thought you thought you could beat me. - Sly mocked.  
- Nice trick, but useless. - Kitty said while she and Bentley started flickering.  
Sly's eyes went wide open and knew that Bentley and Kitty had fooled him with decoys. Unfortunately, it was already too late to avoid the plan of the two former members of the Cooper Gang.  
Bentley and Kitty appeared behind our dear thief, the turtle aimed at him with his sleep darts and shot one at him. Sly sensed that he was in danger, however it was already too late to do something. A small dart hit him in the neck, then he felt how his muscles started to feel like jelly. Sly turned and lost all consciousness because Kitty kicked him in the head.

A few minutes later, Sly woke up in a room, he was tied and had all the UCA around him, looking at him with wide smirks.  
- Look at the once great Sly Cooper! - Tsao mocked.  
- Where's yer stupid luck now? - Muggshot said.  
- This where your life ends, Cooper, with the people you destroyed. - Neyla said.  
- This is for breaking my skull collection all those years ago. - Snaptrap said, earning glares from his partners. - What? Skulls aren't easy to get.  
- Shut it, Snaptrap. - Jack Rabbit said.  
- You are nothing without your friends, Cooper. - McCullen said with a wicked smirk.  
- True, but that's why they always make me stronger, they always got my back and I got theirs. - Sly replied.  
- If that's true, then why you and they are about to die? - Raliegh asked.  
- Because it's part of a plan. - Sly smirked while he slipped his hands through the rope that was tying them.  
Sly rapidly whistled and a green mass came into the room, bouncing everywhere and ocationally hitting a villain in the head. The mass ended up in Sly's right wrist and he got in battle stance.  
- Now, who's first? I can take out all of you by myself. - Sly said.  
- You're really brave Cooper, but that has to end, and I'll be the one to end it! - Kitty said while she entered the room.  
Sly smiled defiantly and Kitty replied his gesture, then they both started to walk in circles, ready to pounce on the other on the moment one of them decided to attack.  
Sly used his feral pounce and jumped over Kitty, pinning her down to the ground. However, the cat rolled and pinned Sly down, then she started throwing punches at his face, but all of them were blocked by Sly's arms. The raccoon pushed the cat and stood up again, he crouched to avoid a kick to his head and threw a punch at Kitty's ribs. Kitty felt that the air was driven out of her lungs, so she started gasping for air, but unfortunately Sly had seized the opportunity and he kicked her in the stomach, suffocating her even more. Kitty grabbed her stomach and couldn't evade a kick that went to her head. The tan cat fell to the ground almost unconscious, but she managed to push herself up again and glare at Sly after a few minutes.  
- I told you Kitty, you can't beat me. - Sly said.  
- That's what you think. - Kitty said while she showed Sly that she had a pink mass on her wrist.  
Sly's eyes went wide open and he couldn't move because he was shocked, so Kitty turned the pink mass around her wrist into a wrecking ball and flung it at the thief, who was sent flying to crash against a wall hard.  
Sly was stuck to the wall but when he tried to psuh himself away from the wall, he felt something was tying itself around Sly's ankle and was pulling him off the wall. Kitty pulled Sly off of the wall and slammed him face first in the ground.  
Sly groaned and pushed himself up again, he turned to glare at Kitty, he wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth and said:  
- Well, well, well, you have the other soul rubber. - Sly said with a smirk. - Tell me, did you stole it from under my nose or did Bentley gave it to you?  
- I stole it from under your nose, who does that feels, Cooper? - Kitty replied with a smirk.  
- Not as bad as this will, Kit.  
Sly flung the green rubber at Kitty and whiplashed in the chest, then he grabbed her by the waist and slammed her against a wall. Kitty got up and flung the pink rubber at Sly, she grabbed him by the waist too and slammed him many times against the ground hard. Then Kitty threw Sly over some crates and smirked. The racoon got up groggily and glared at Kitty, then he spat some blood and grinned at Kitty in an evil way.  
- Is that all you got? - Sly asked deviously.  
Kitty roared and lunged at Sly again, this time with the rubber as a sword. Sly transformed his rubber in a replica of his cane, then he blocked Kitty's attack.  
- You can't beat me, Cooper! - Kitty said.  
- Yeah, let's find out if I can't! - Sly replied.  
Sly and Kitty rushed at the attack again, using their long weapons. Sparks were flying everywhere, and this left the villains confused because they tought that the rubber couldn't generate electricity, and much less sparks. Kitty and Sly fought for over ten minutes without a rest, and thanks to their previous fight they were really tired. The cat and the raccoon separated and glared at each other while they panted for air.  
- You... are... one... heck of a match... - Kitty said.  
- But... this... ends... NOW! - Sly yelled.  
Sly lunged at Kitty in a final attempt to knock her out, but Kitty was expecting that. The cat smirked and covered her fist with her soul rubber, then she evaded Sly's attack and punched him in the stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs.  
Sly fell to the ground, Kitty kicked him in the face and walked away from the raccoon. She stood beside Bentley and the other criminals who were smirking at Sly's battered body.  
- Ah finally, the great Sly Cooper is where he belongs, in the ground creeping like a pathetic insect. - Said the hidden criminal with a voice modulator.  
- Why does your voice sounds so funny? - Asked Snaptrap.  
- Shut it, Snaptrap! - Everyone else yelled.  
- Now it's time for you to die. - McCullen said while he pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Sly's head. - Any last words, Cooper?  
- Yeah, can I have a last wish? - Sly asked as a matter of fact.  
McCullen chuckled and put his pistol back in its holster.  
- What do you think you're doing?! Kill him now! - Dr Rabies demanded.  
- No, he can't do anything else, he's helpless, his friends are locked up and the ones he considered his friends betrayed him, what could he possibly do against us? - McCullen replied.  
- Indeed. - The hidden criminal said. - Let him have his last wish.  
- Let's hurry this up, say it, what's your wish, Cooper? - Madame Catastrophe asked.  
- I want to have a little chat with those backstabbing, cowardly, idiots. - Sly said while he pointed at Bentley and Kitty.  
- Well, well, that is unexpected, but who cares, you can speak with them. - McCullen mocked.  
Sly stood up wearily and smirked, he had that smirk he always had when he knew something was going his way.  
- Kitty, Bentley, you can stop faking now. - Sly said with a cunning smirk.  
-What are you talking about? - The hidden criminal asked.  
Bentley, Kitty and Sly started laughing, it was a really happy, but somewhat evil, laughter.  
- Phew, what a relief, I thought I'd go insane if I kept that act up anymore. - Kitty said with a warm smile.  
- That's why you always have to keep your mind cool, Kitty. - Bentley said. - But you're right, it was quite tiring.  
- WHAT?! - The villains yelled while they watched the scene.  
Sly chuckled, he had fooled everyone with his plan.  
- Did you really thought that we'd disband just like that? - Sly asked sarcastically with a smile.  
- This was all part of the plan. - Bentley said. - Nice plan, Sly, by the way.  
- Don't give me all the credit, this couldn't have worked if we weren't such a good actors.  
- We may consider to work as actors if we can't get our jobs back. - Kitty let out.  
- Indeed we should. - Bentley said.  
- How the Hell could you do that?! - Jack Rabbit asked.  
- Chill out pal, we're gonna tell you everything. - Sly said with a smirk.  
- First off, when we were in the safehouse back in Paris, we were talking about a plan, which was just a cover. - Bentley explained.  
- We knew that you guys had a bug in the room, so we used that to our advantage. - Kitty added.  
- What you didn't notice with it was that the real way we were communicating with each other was with the photos on the table, we were writting on them and we were passing them to everyone so we all could know what the plan was. - Sly said.  
- When you guys bursted into the hideout, we certainly weren't expecting that, but we had to do something fast. - Kitty said.  
- Yeah, the whole thing with my cane loss and how I replaced it with the soul rubber was a lucky shot, though I did know that my old pal had left it there. - Sly said while he showed everyone the rubber.  
- Anyhow, I took the hyper-cube after Sly let you guys took his cane, while he was chasing you. - Kitty said while she showed everyone the pink rubber. - Sly said that this is the green rubber's opposite, this one is quite cooperative and friendly.  
- However, we not only did this plan for that, we had our own reasons to make Sly lose his cane, to make Carmelita hit Kitty like she did, for me to be yelled like that by Penelope, to make Murray give up his van, to make us fight between us like we did, and also to make the others agree to let you capture them. - Bentley said.  
- You didn't do that, we did all that. - Neyla said, not wanting to hear anymore of the truth.  
- (Laughs) Did you really think you'd win that easily? - Sly asked with an amused grin on his face.  
- Of course you didn't win, we let you capture our friends, so we could get data on some things. - Kitty said with a smirk.  
- Which things? - Snaptrap asked.  
- First off, we wanted to know your full plan. - Sly said.  
- Second, McCullen said that he had taken care of cleaning the TUFF building, but he never said where the agents were. - Kitty explained.  
- Third, so we could find Keswick and free him. - Bentley said.  
- And fourth, so we could know who's behind all this. - Sly said while he glared at the hidden criminal.  
- Your plan may have worked, Cooper, but still you're outnumbered, and your friends are still locked up. - The hidden criminal said.  
- Stop fooling around and show yourself... Doctor M. - Sly demanded.  
And as Sly said his father's former friend, the evil mandrill got out of the shadows, looking even more mechanic than before, now half of his torso, both his arms and one of his eyes were robotic.  
- So Doctor, how did you make it out of the Vault in one piece? - Sly asked with a smirk.  
- Laugh all you want, Sly, you and your pathetic gang are finished. - Dr M said.  
All the villains took our their blasters and pistols, and pointed them at the thieving trio. Sly, Bentley and Kitty just gave a full-hearted laugh and smirked.  
- We don't think so. - The trio said.  
- Hands up, criminals! - Someone yelled from the shadows.  
The villains got startled, they thought that Sly had called the police so they started shooting at the shadows in the warehouse. However, they only saw how their shots bounced off a round shield.  
- That won't work. - A woman said from the shadows.  
- Who's there?! - All the villains yelled with some fear.  
- Guys, c'mon you need to show yourselves, it's part of the plan. - Kitty said.  
- I gotta hand it to you, Cooper. I never thought that this plan could work. - A black fox wearing a military uniform that came from the shadows said.  
- Yeah, big bro, I never thought of you as a tactician. - Said a gray furred raccoon wearing a skin-tight white blouse and pants, black knee-high boots and ivory-colored gloves and with a cane that looked like Sly's.  
- I always knew you were smart, Sly, no wonder why you chose Carmelita over Miss Katswell, and no offense towards you, Kitty. - A white vixen with black hair wearing a business suit said.  
- Don't worry, Camila, I also think Sly made a good choice about it. - Kitty said as a matter of factly.  
- That's one of the things I've always liked about you sis, you are always happy. - A tan cat like Kitty said.  
- Well, you guys did it, I didn't think this could work, but you've proved me wrong. - Carmelita said while she appeared from the shadows.  
Murray, the Guru, Dimitri, Cleo, Jing, Dudley, Herbert, Barton, Penelope, Mz. Ruby, a white dog a bit taller than Dudley, another vixen a tone clearer than Carmelita, a tan cat with some stripes on her face and the recently freed Keswick stepped out of the shadows on a catwalk while they had smirks in their faces.  
- Nice job, little buddies. - Murray said.  
- Yeah, you three made a cool plan, bros. - Dimitri said.  
- I didn't think that Cooper could be this intelligent. - Mz Ruby said.  
- Hey, my big bro is intelligent! - The female raccoon, called Alice, said.  
- I thought I had already said that it's all because we're awesome actors. - Sly let out.  
- You irritating pest! - Le Paradox yelled.  
- Oh, looks like someone lost his cool. - Dudley's brother, Dylan, said while he crossed his arms and smirked.  
- You will never get your cane back, Cooper, and none of you will stay alive after this! - Dr M yelled.  
- Oh really? - Sly said. - Jing, do you have it?  
- Yes, I found it near the cells. - Jing said while she pulled out Sly's cane from behind her.  
The young panda threw the cane at Sly, McCullen tried to take it before, but the green soul rubber was faster than him.  
- Thank you, rubber. - Sly said to the green mass in his wrist.  
- Hey Cooper! What are we gonna do with the UCA now? - The black fox said.  
- We'll let them escape. - Sly said.  
- What?! - The Gang shouted in unison.  
- You can't do that! - The tan striped cat said.  
- Of course I can, and we'll do it just so we can rub our victory on the villains faces.  
- Awesome! I like that, Sly! - Dudley said, earning glares from the others. - What? They had mocked of us many times, we deserve to celebrate our victory by rubbing it in their faces.  
The villains were gritting their teeth and glaring at the Cooper Gang, they were saved by the bell again! The UCA members shot their blasters at Sly, who didn't notice until it was too late to evade the shots. However, a figure appeared out of nowhere and activated a bubble shield around Sly, saving the thief's life. Sly smirked when the smoke and dust cleared, the final member of his gang had arrived, a bit late but just in time to save him.  
- You're late, Pat. - Sly said with a smirk.  
Pat was a penguin, he smiled whole-heartedly at Sly and said:  
- You know what they say, "Better late than never".  
- Yes, but you almost arrived too late. - The black fox said.  
- C'mon Carlos, you arrived just a few minutes ago, you can't judge anyone about being late. - Kitty's twin, Katherine, said.  
- At least we're now together. - Penelope said.  
- Yeah, tha-tha-thanks for rescuing me, guys. - Keswick said.  
- No problem, pal. That's what friends are for. - Camila, the white vixen, said.  
- Anyway, also thanks for breaking me out of jail. - The striped cat said.  
- Family bonds are more important than grudges between sisters, Kelly. - Katherine said. - Besides, you were gonna be released from jail tomorrow.  
- Well UCA, this is it. - Sly said while he put his hands together. - You can leave, but remember this, we're gonna stop you, no matter what.  
- Still, you can't clean your names. - Muggshot said stupidly.  
- We're working on it right now, Meat-Head. - Carmelita said with a smirk.  
- What do you mean, Carmelita? You all were incriminated for the stealing of the weapon. - Neyla said.  
- So you're saying you were the ones who incriminated us? - Kitty asked with a smirk.  
- Yes, it was quite funny too, I had to dress as a soldier and then... - Snaptrap said.  
- SHUT IT, SNAPTRAP! - All the other villains yelled.  
- Thanks, Verminious. - Sly said while he put a recorder back in his leg pouch. - It was all I needed.  
The villains glared daggers at the Gang, somehow they turned the tables and now had the upper hand. Cooper had showed his incredible luck once more, and this time he had really outsmarted all of them, they couldn't believe that the raccoon could have planned something like that.  
- Well, what are you guys waiting for? - Dudley asked to the villains. - Leave before we change our minds about letting you go.  
- We never agreed on that. - Carmelita said.  
- Yeah, but what the heck. - Murray said. - We're not being overconfident, we have all the cards on our side now, they can't beat us.  
- Murray is right, I'm sure we are going to win, one way or the other. - Jing said.  
The villains were now growling and gritting their teeth, while the Cooper Gang laughed at them.  
- (Growls) You are so goddamn dead, fellows. - McCullen said.  
- I hate you, Cooper Gang. - Neyla said.  
- You shall pay for this. - Tsao said.  
- I shall plot my revenge! - Snaptrap said.  
- This isn't over, Cooper, this is just the beginning. - Dr M said.  
The villains started to walk out of the warehouse with a scowl on their faces.  
However, they changed their expressions for a smirk. Doctor M pulled out a detonator from his pocket and turned to face Sly.  
- You may have turned the tables, but I still have an ace up my sleeve. - Doctor M said while the villains entered their vehicles.  
Sly got a bit confused, but once he saw the detonator in Dr M's hand, his eyes opened widely and he yelled:  
- RUN!  
The Cooper Gang got startled, they thought they had won and that the villains didn't have any tricks. But apparently they overlooked the detail of whenever they were overconfident, they always received a backfire.  
Doctor M pressed the button on the detonator and the whole hideout started to blow up. Then Sly's father former friend entered the last vehicle and it sped off.  
The ceiling started to crumble, the ground started to shake and the whole place started to fall apart. Kitty and Bentley got an idea, they could make a run for the TUFF Mobile and the Cooper Van.  
- C'mon guys! Let's go to the vehicles! - Kitty yelled.  
All the members in the catwalk jumped just in time to evade an explosion that could have killed them. They landed on the ground and started running after Kitty and Bentley.  
- This wasn't part of the plan! - Pat, Scarlett, Cleo, Penelope and Bentley said.  
- Would you shut up and keep running?! - Kitty, Carmelita, Alice, Kelly and Mz Ruby said.  
- The vehicles are this way! C'mon! - Bentley said.  
The Gang made it to the parking lot of the villains hideout, avoiding being crushed by the falling parts of the ceiling. They saw the TUFF Mobile and the Van and smiled, thinking that they were going to get out of there.  
However, fate still seemed to be a bit against the Gang.  
Just a few meters before the Gang members could reach the vehicles, both of them exploded in a million pieces, shattering Murray's heart, and sending the rest of the Gang flying.  
The members crashed against a wall hard, but they knew they had to keep moving, so they stood up rapidly, evading every falling debris and grabbed the motionless Murray, dragging him out of the place.  
Somehow, the Gang made it out, just before the whole place collapsed because of the damage the bombs had caused in the hideout.  
Everyone was panting and coughing, they had breathed a lot of smoke, but fortunately they weren't going to need to go to a hospital.  
Unfortunately you couldn't say the same about Murray.  
He was still motionless, the look on his face displayed pure devastation. His beloved van had been blown up right before his eyes, and he was unable to avoid it. Murray fell to his knees and sobbed. The others had a look of empathy on their faces, they knew how much the van meant for him. Sly tried to pat him in the back but Murray shoved his hand rather aggresively, he stood up and yelled:  
- THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!  
Sly held out his hands defensively, he tried to say something to reply but no words came to his mind. Murray was about to punch Sly in the face, Sly saw it and closed his eyes, waiting for a punch that never came.  
Jing had enough, she threw her arms around Murray and stopped him before he could even touch Sly. The latter opened his eyes slowly and saw that now Murray was crying over Jing's shoulder while the panda patted him in the back, letting a few tears run over her face as well.  
- It's not his fault, Murray, this plan was idea of all of us, we are all blame of it. - Jing said calmly. - Everything is going to be alright, you just need to calm down.  
Murray sobbed a bit more, until Jing did something unexpected. The young panda knew about this a long time, but since the first time she laid her eyes on him, she had developed a crush on Murray, which due to the closeness they had as Gang members, quickly made her fall in love with the silly but brave and friendly hippo. The Panda King's daughter threw her arms around Murray's neck, she stood on her toes to reach the hippo's face and pressed her lips against Murray's.  
Everyone's mouth dropped agape, nobody could believe it, not even Murray. Jing broke the kiss just as suddenly as it had started and tried to go away, fearing that Murray or anyone else would yell at her, but a strong hand grabbed her forearm and stopped her. She turned to face Murray and sighed.  
- I-I am truly sorry... I do-don't know what came over... - Jing stuttered before Murray silenced her with another kiss.  
Jing was taken aback, but enjoyed the kiss nonetheless. Murray broke the kiss and looked directly into Jing's eyes.  
- I feel the same way about you, Jing. - Murray said with a whole-heartedly smile. - Thanks for helping me.  
- I was in debt with you, you helped me when the UCA injured him. - Jing replied.  
- Awww! - Katherine said while she looked at Murray and Jing. - You two look so cute together!  
- I gotta admit you two make a lovely couple, unlike Sly and Carmelita. - Carlos said while he glared at Sly.  
- If you ever insult my brother, I'll make yo pay. - Alice threatened the fox.  
- C'mon pals, we need to calm down. - Cleo said.  
- Yeah, now we gotta find another hideout. - Scarlett added.  
- I-I-I could help with that. - Keswick said while he pulled out a map. - I always carry a map of Europe in my pocket.  
Everyone looked at the specie-less animal as if he was a weirdo, which he actually was.  
- We could go to the old Bravo Base in the Swiss Alps. - Bentley said.  
- No we can't, it was destroyed by the Storm Covenant. - Sly said.  
- We should go to Kaine Island, that's the villains next target. - Alice said.  
- But we need some vehicles to get there, unless you want to swim like a thousand miles. - Penelope said.  
- Perhaps I can ask for a car to the PFP, there are some guys there that owe me a few favors. - Cecilia said.  
- That could put you in risk, sis. - Carmelita said.  
- Well, then let's go to my house, it's not that far if we came here walking. - Cleo suggested.  
- It's our best choice. - Murray said.  
- I'm with you. - Jing said while she hugged Murray.  
- If you guys think it's a good idea, so be it. - Pat said.  
- Ok guys, let's go, we got a lot to walk. - Barton said.  
- Good thing I don't need to walk. - Herbert said from Barton's head.  
All the others glared at the flea and kept walking back to Cleo's house, which was about twenty miles away from their current position.


	11. New Problems

Chapter 9.- New problems.

Finally, after walking for nearly six hours, the gang had made it to Cleo's house and now were taking a rest in the living room while they still enjoyed their recent victory.  
- Woohoo! - Dudley cheered. - We're so awesome!  
- I gotta admit it, it was quite a great plan, and yes, we're awesome. - Dylan said.  
- So Cooper... what's the plan now? - Camila asked Sly.  
- I don't know, Kitty and I made the last plan but it's normally Bentley and Penelope who do all the planning. - Sly said.  
- Right now we can't do anything, but Keswick, Penelope and I have been working on something. - Bentley said while he rolled into the living room with his wheelchair.  
- And what is it? - Katherine asked.  
- Whatever you're working on isn't going to blow up, right? - Barton said.  
- That's in-in-insulting! - Keswick said. - My inventions ne-ne-never explode!  
Suddenly, something in the kitchen explodes and everyone glances at the scientific with a face that said "Really?".  
- Well, almost none. - Keswick said while he scratched the back of his neck.  
- Anyways, everyone here knows that we lost our vehicles in the last mission, right? - Penelope said.  
- Why do you have to make Murray suffer? - Jing asked in a scolding tone.  
- I'm sorry but that's the point, we've managed to take many of the remains of both the Van and the TUFF Mobile, we couldn't risk to let the villains get their hands on the Slipspace cannon tech, the energy shields, the antimatter generator, nor the plasma-laser weapons systems of the Van, and whatever tech Dudley, Kitty and the others had in the TUFF Mobile.  
- What do you mean? We all ran like a soul to the Devil when the vehicles exploded. - Herbert said.  
- Not true Chief, Bentley pulled out tha-tha-that strange bluish cube and took mo-mo-most of the rests. - Keswick explained.  
- It's called Hyperbolic Cube of Techno-Magically Extended Space, or simply hyper-cube for short. - Bentley said.  
- Why did you say it was "Magically Expanded"? - Kelly asked.  
- Because it is, it's kinda hard to explain but we know certain people that can use magic, ki, the Force and chakra, also we know an organization that is not supossed to exist. - Penelope explained.  
- Yeah, I know, you're hiding info about wizards, fighters, Jedi, Shinobi and the UNSC. - Kitty said.  
- How do you know? - Carmelita asked.  
- Sly told me everything, he also told the Chief, Barton and Dudley about all that.  
Carmelita, Bentley, Alice, Murray and Penelope glanced at Sly with a not amused look on their faces while the thief shrugged and smiled sheepishly.  
- We told them we were going to tell them about all that. - Sly said.  
- Anyways, come, we gotta show you something. - Bentley said.  
- Wow, you guys work fast. - Cecilia said.  
- It's because we aren't here. - The three geniuses said while their images started flickering.  
The rest of the gang showed not amused looks on their faces and followed the holograms.  
The team followed the holograms to an underground part of Paris, to something that looked like a military base.  
- This is awesome. - Carlos said.  
- When did you build this secret base under my house? - Cleo asked.  
- We build it a few months ago, and we improved it while you were asleep. - The fake Penelope said as a matter of fact.  
- You guys are just as weird as Keswick. - Dudley said.  
- That's why I'm not afraid of Penelope. - Keswick's hologram said.  
- Halt! - An alien soldier said.  
Everyone's eyes went wide when they saw that the alien was 8 feet tall, had four mandibules, had scales on its skin and was wearing an armor.  
- Identify immediately or prepare to meet your doom. - The alien said while he turned on an energy sword.  
- Calm down, Ikiul, it's me. - Sly said.  
- I-Den-Ti-Fy IMMEDIATELY!  
Sly and Carmelita groaned, then they pulled out their UNSC badges. Ikiul looked at the badges and his eyes went wide open, then he bowed and saluted nervously at the Coopers.  
- Forgive me! I did not recognize you! - Ikiul said.  
- Ikiul, I'm gonna kick your butt if you ever do this again! - Sly warned the Sangheili.  
Ikiul moved and let the team pass.  
- Well, getting back at what we were speaking about, you should be scared of me, Keswick. - Penelope's hologram said with an evil grin.  
Sly snapped his fingers a few times and said:  
- Focus guys, we're here because you wanted to show us something.  
- Right, just let me open the door for you. - Bentley's hologram said.  
The hologram typed some things on a nearby keyboard while most of the Team TUFF Cooper wondered how a hologram could type things on a keyboard.  
- How can a hologram type words on a keyboard? - Asked Scarlett.  
- Easy, a hard-light hologram can do such a thing. - Keswick answered.  
- Hard-light? Plasma-laser? Slipspace cannons? What's next? A Magnetic Acceleration Cannon? - Dylan said.  
- It exists and it's called MAC gun for short. - Murray said.  
Dylan glared at the hippo and the door opened, revealing three large objects hidden by blankets. And also the three real geniuses covered in oil and other mechanical fluids.  
- Ah, you finally arrive. - The real Penelope said.  
- You are no-no-not needed anymore, so go away. - Keswick said to the holograms.  
The holograms flickered once more and disappeared, then the geniuses turned to see the rest of the Gang and vice versa.  
- Ok, as you know, we called you because we gotta show you something we've been working on. - Bentley said.  
- Yeah, and you made me feel sad again. - Murray said.  
- Sorry for that again, big guy, but I'm sure this will make everyone's day. - Penelope said.  
Keswick, Penelope and Bentley took a blanket each, they smiled warmly at their teammates and pulled the blankets.  
To say that everyone was outstanded was an understatement.  
In front of them they saw three vehicles like they've never seen before. A car that looked like the TUFF Mobile, a modified M-Wing Starfighter and a van that looked like Murray's destroyed van, all three vehicles were black, silver and blue.  
Bentley, Keswick and Penelope smirked at their friends amazement, they knew that they'd react like that once they saw the secret projects.  
- Well guys, whatcha think? - Bentley said with an amused grin.  
Everyone was speechless, but Murray and Dudley managed to push their astonishment and replace it with excitement.  
- THIS IS SO AWESOME! - The dog and the hippo yelled excitedly.  
- Yep, but you gotta know a few things about these vehicles. - Keswick said.  
- Just tell us already! - Murray ordered.  
- Ok, ok, first of all, the body and the chassis of both vehicles is made of Forcidium-Z, making them lighter, faster and mostly invulnerable to almost everything except against plasma-laser rounds. - Penelope explained.  
- Then we got a ne-ne-new weapons system composed by two plasma-laser cannons in the fro-fro-front of each vehicle and a turret in the rear, a small MA-MA-MAC gun, an Energy Projector, rechargeable energy shields, a proton torpedo launcher and an Archer missile pod with thirty missiles.  
- And finally, they also possess the ability to travel at faster-than-light speeds, go through Hyperspace and Slipspace, they have the Slipspace Rupture Cannon, they resist EMPs and any kind of radiation, and the power source is an antimatter generator that would make Bulma go green with envy. - Penelope said.  
- Any other thing? - Sly asked.  
- Yep, they're equipped with a device that can expand them without increase the size outside, so we all should be able to fit in.  
- This is crazy and awesome, sis, crazy but awesome nontheless. - Katherine said to Kitty.  
- You'll get acustomed with some time, don't worry. - Jing told Katherine.  
- Question is: where did you get all the funds to make this projects? - Carlos asked with a hand on his chin.  
- Easy, Bentley made some ca-ca-calls, he explained his situation to someone called John and he sent him the materials to make them. - Keswick said.  
- John helped you? - Carmelita asked.  
- Yes, he said he was busy so he sent some resources to rebuild the van and the TUFF Mobile right away. - Penelope said.  
- Well, certainly this vehicles are the best I've ever seen. - Sly said while pointing at the ground vehicles. - But what about the M-Wing?  
- It's like a common M-Wing but we added some special things like a MAC gun, an Energy projector, stronger shields, it's faster than the average model and also more resilient. - Keswick explained.  
- How do you know about the M-Wings, Keswick? - Kitty asked.  
- Bentley and Penelope told me while we were working on this vehicles.  
- Which reminds me that they aren't finished. - Penelope said.  
Penelope went to a tool box, she took out some sprays and threw them at Murray, Dudley, Sly, Kitty, Jing, Cleo, Scarlett and Carmelita, who just stared at the sprays.  
Penelope got exasperated and groaned.  
- What are you waiting? - Penelope asked sarcastically. - We gotta mark the vehicles as ours.  
- I'll put the TUFF mark in the car. - Dudley said.  
- I'll mark the van as the Cooper Team Van number II! - Murray said.  
However, before any of them could move, Sly stopped them short with the soul rubber and his cane.  
- Wait. We're not two organizations, we're a team. - Sly said with a devious smirk.  
- We're a team, and we'll still be even if the vehicles are marked differently. - Kitty said.  
- No, we need a mark, a mark that combines TUFF and the Cooper Gang and that can show that we're together till the end.  
- Like what? - Asked Katherine.  
- By any chance does any of you guys have any TUFF logo?  
- Yes, here. - Herbert said while he gave Sly a presentation card.  
Sly took the card and he saw it. Then he smirked, took black, silver and white sprays, then he got closer to the new van and he started painting. A few minutes later Sly stopped spraying paint over the side of the new van and nodded at his master piece.  
- Done. - Sly said while he stepped back a few paces.  
Everyone got closer to the new logo and saw it. It was a black Cooper symbol with a white trim placed upon the TUFF acronym, it was very simple but it was really good.  
- So this is what you meant, big bro? - Alice said.  
- Yep, isn't it awesome? - Sly asked.  
- Gotta hand it to you, Cooper, it's quite ingenious. - Cecilia said.  
- I like it. - Cleo said.  
- Then it's settled, "the New Cooper Gang" officially changes its name to "Team TUFF Cooper". - Dylan said.  
- Nice name, Dylan. - Carlos said.  
- Well, if aren't we being really creative today. - Bentley said with a smirk.  
- Well, do you have any plans? - Cleo asked.  
- Yeah, I've been itching to get some action. - Scarlett said.  
- Kind of, we're already trying to decide what should we do first. - Keswick said.  
- What's on our "To do" list? - Mz Ruby asked.  
- First we gotta make sure the villains didn't get any plans, blueprints or info of our former vehicles, if they do, we'll be in trouble. - Bentley said.  
- I don't think it'll be worse than that time when the Didact returned, he even made John so angry that he became a Super Saiyan. - Sly let out.  
- Ok, now I'm officially confused. - Pat said.  
- You're not the only one, compadre. - Camila said.  
- Anyways, I sent the data disks of the old TUFF Mobile and the Van to Cortana, she should have the answer in a few seconds. - Penelope said.  
- Actually, I already have them. - Said a suave woman voice.  
Most of the team startled, they turned and tried to see who had spoken.  
- You won't find me there, I'm over here. - Said the same voice.  
The team turned again and gasped when they saw a bluish, transparent women, about the same high that Kitty. Kelly, Katherine, Carlos, Camila, Cecilia, Dylan, Dudley, Jing, Herbert, Barton, Cleo, Scarlett, Pat, Dimitri and the Guru yelled:  
- AHHHHHH! A GHOST!  
Keswick, Mz Ruby, Sly, Penelope, Murray, Carmelita, Bentley and the bluish woman, known as the UNSC Smart AI CTN 0452-9, aka Cortana, facepalmed and sighed.  
- I should've known this would happen. - Cortana said.  
- You should have told them that she was an AI, Bentley. - Carmelita said.  
- I didn't have time. - The turtle replied.  
- Anyhow. - Said Penelope. - What are the resulsts, 'Tana.  
- First off, you know how much I hate when you short my name, "'Lope", and second, you won't like the results. - Cortana said.

(Meanwhile, in the DOOM Hideout in Petropolis)

- This is an outrage! - Yelled Jack Rabbit. - We were this close to win!  
- That stupid Cooper Gang played its last card, they're gonna die the next time we see them! - Doctor Rabies snarled.  
- I will rip Agent Katswell apart with my bare claws! - Madame Catastrophe said.  
- I will kill Carmelita and have my revenge of what she did to me! - Neyla said.  
While the villains ranted and cursed for their most recent defeat against the Cooper Gang, McCullen was leaning on a wall, but the most curious thing was that he had a smirk in his face and was chuckling slightly at the scene. Soon, McCullen's chuckles turned into loud laughs, full of evil. The villains stayed quiet and looked at the assassin as if he was crazy.  
- What's so funny, you idiot? - The Contessa said.  
- You are calling me an idiot? - McCullen said with an amused expression. - No, if there is someone who is not an idiot in this room is just me.  
- You're the most idiot in this room! You said that Sly Cooper couldn't beat you, and yet he did! - Rajan yelled.  
McCullen's expression changed and it became a scowl with bared teeth and accompanied by snarls.  
- NEVER COMPARE ME TO THAT CURSED SLY COOPER AGAIN OR I WILL CUT YOUR BALLS OFF! - McCullen yelled at the tiger. - Cooper only beat me because his armor was five hundred years ahead of mine, not because he was better at fighting!  
- Those are just excuses, McCullen, and you know it. - Rabbit said.  
McCullen pulled out his dagger, he moved so fast that in the blink of an eye he was in front of Rabbit, holding him by the neck and with his dagger about to slit his throat.  
- Do not tempt your luck, Rabbit, I am not in a good mood and certainly I could "relieve some stress" by slitting your throat. - McCullen menaced.  
Neyla gasped when she heard McCullen's warning. The evil raccoon pressed Rabbit's neck harder and the latter started gasping, trying to get some air.  
- Let him go! - Neyla demanded with tears in her eyes.  
McCullen smirked, he let go of Rabbit's neck and chuckled.  
- I did not know you were into rabbits, Patel. - McCullen said.  
Neyla didn't listened McCullen's comment, she was more worried about Jack's well-being.  
- Well, whatever. - McCullen said while he put his dagger away. - I said I was not stupid unlike you because I had a plan B, I knew something like this could happen, so I did a few things.  
- What kind of things, if we could know, McCullen? - Dr M asked.  
McCullen's smirk grew wider and pulled out two square pieces from his pocket.  
- You wanted to know some more about that United Nations Space Command, did not you? - McCullen asked as he showed everyone the data disks of the TUFF Mobile and the Van.

(Back with the Team TUFF Cooper)

- You can't be serious, Cortana! - Bentley yelled.  
- I am, these data disks are empty, whatever info you had is now in the hands of that Unnamed Criminal Association. - Cortana said. - Sly, you've always been good with inventing nicknames, why didn't you create a good acronym for that group?  
- We have no time for that, Cortana! - Sly snapped. - If they manage to develop the technology stored in those data disks, we're all doomed.  
- I'm going to tell John about this, I'll also tell Lord Lasky, Admiral Marcus Riggins and Captain Maxwell Riggins to be ready if things get out of hand. - Cortana said.  
- You do that, and also call the other boys, we're gonna need their help if this gets too out of hand. - Murray said.  
Cortana nodded and disappeared, leaving a confused team.  
- What was all that about? - Asked Pat.  
- Looks like McCullen stole the real data disks in the TUFF Mobile and the Van, and with the info into the Van's data base, they're sure to find out how to build a spaceship, how to make plasma-laser weapons, how to use the Force, the Ki, the Chakra and the Magic... - Carmelita explained before she remembered something really important. - Penelope, please tell me that the info about the Seven Big Ones was not stored in that disk.  
Penelope's eyes went wide at the realization, the data was indeed inside the data disk, and she knew what a ship like the ones in the Seven Big Ones Fleet could do.  
- Double drat! - Cursed the mouse. - If somehow they manage to build a fleet like the Seven Big Ones we're as good as dead.  
- What's with those Seven Big Ones? - Asked Cleo.  
- The Seven Big Ones are seven ships, they're the best ships that this galaxy has seen till the date. - Keswick said. - Bentley told me a-a-about them and the one that I heard is the better is a ship called Zillar Of Actum or something like tha-tha-that.  
- The UNSC Pillar Of Autumn II, the first and only Super-Halcyon-class cruiser of the universe. - Bentley said. - It's the terror among those organizations that dare to challenge the UNSC and the New Republic.  
- We built that battle cruiser during the Rebellion and some of us have commanded it, we've seen first hand what a ship of that power is capable of. - Murray said.  
- So we're doomed? - Dimitri asked.  
- No, fortunately there's one thing that Dr M won't have to build that ship. - Penelope said.  
- What? - Murray asked.  
- Forcidium, the only metal resilient enough to imitate the armor-plating of the Autumn is the adamantium, and not even that can resist plasma-laser shots. - Bentley said.  
- We gotta call Admiral Riggins and tell him to bring the Autumn here, we're gonna need it in case they build a copy! - Carmelita said franticly.  
- Carm, calm down. - Camila said. - That Cortana girl said that she's already doing it and from what I've seen, we can trust her.  
- I'm also afraid that they can replicate the Spartan serum that Doctor Halsey made, if McCullen is injected with that serum, we'll be done for. - Bentley said.  
- Halsey saved the info in the Van's data disk? - Murray asked quite confused.  
- Yes, she said that she wouldn't allow her investigation to fall into the wrong hands within the UNSC, but looks like her decision backfired.  
- That's really bad, but we need to focus on the task at hand. - Sly snapped. - We also need to remove these stupid anulators from mine and Carm's chests.  
- Oh, so that's what it is, I thought it was some kind of gimmick. - Cecilia said.  
- What kind of gimmick can shock you when you try to use your powers?! - Carmelita yelled.  
- Calm down, Carmelita. - Katherine said. - I'm sure she didn't know.  
- Yeah girl, she just got confused with all this things about the United Nations Space Command stuff. - Dylan said.  
- It's like being hit by a funky-train, Inspector Fox. - Dimitri said.  
- I'm sorry, Cecilia, it's just that I'm too stressed, I thought that after the Rebellion nothing could make me feel this uneasy.  
- It's okay, big sis, though I would've liked to know you were part of a space organization that was hidden from most people.  
- We gotta stop changing subjects. - Sly snapped. - Bentley, was there any other dangerous info?  
- Unfortunately yes, the MJOLNIR Mark IX info was there too.  
- We need to do something. - Jing said. - Or else this is going to become an arms race.  
- No Jing, this is an arms race, and we're gonna win it. - Murray said. - Bentley, call Bulma, Dr Finkelstein, Hermione, and the other Scientists, we gotta know if we can improve the Mark IX and fast.  
- I'm already trying to do so, but I'll need a lot of help.  
- We'll help you, Bentley. - Penelope and Keswick said.  
- I can test the armor if you want. - Carlos said.  
- I'm sorry Carlos, but no, Sly and Carmelita are the only ones here that have experience using MJOLNIR armors, so they'll have to test them. - Penelope said.  
- Oh Hell no! - Carmelita said. - The last time we and the others tested a MJOLNIR we broke our arms.  
- We have senzu beans, John send them also. - Bentley said.  
- Is that supposed to convince me?  
- Those were just prototypes, these new MJOLNIRs will be safer than any other model. - Penelope reassured.  
- I'll test it. - Sly said. - By the way, my old MJOLNIR didn't protect me that well against the shock that this thing produces. - He pointed at the Inhibitor in his chest.  
- Hmm, I need to take a closer view to it.  
- In the meantime, we need to stay in perfect shape when the time for attack comes, does any of you guys built any room where we can train? - Scarlett asked.  
- Yes, it's going through that way, the first door to your right. - Penelope said while she pointed a hallway in the back of the room.  
- I'm gonna call Halsey and the Scientists. - Bentley said.  
- No need, Bentley. - Said an English woman voice. - We might not be there physically but we can still help you.  
Everyone glanced behind the three geniuses and found Cortana, a woman who was around eighty years old with her left arm amputeed, a brown-haired woman with bushy hair, a duck-like creature wearing a lab coat and using a wheelchair, a teal-haired woman wearing a red dress, a pink-haired woman wearing a shinobi outfit with a lab coat, a man-like golden droid and something that looked like a rolling trash can.  
- Who are you and why most of you are weird? - Dudley asked bluntly.  
THe pink-haired woman roared and tried to lunge at Dudley, but thankfully her hologram was not made of hard light. The hologram got up again and glared daggers at the mutt.  
- How dare you call me weird?! - The woman snapped.  
- Sakura, calm down, he's just too innocent for his own good, besides, your hair is weird. - Carmelita said.  
- And you call yourself my friend?  
- Sakura, just stay away from Dudley, he's a bit like Naruto. - Sly said.  
- A total "baka"?  
- Precisely.  
- Does baka means "handsome"? - Dudley asked.  
Sly, Carmelita, Murray, Bentley, Penelope and the holograms facepalmed themselves.  
- You were right after all, Sly. - The brown-haired said.  
- Ok, let's get down to business. - Said the older woman. - Cortana said that you have some troubles.  
- I wouldn't call it just so-so-some troubles. - Keswick said.  
All the holograms looked at Keswick and gasped.  
- I know this is rude, but what kind of creature are you? - The teal-haired woman asked.  
- Bulma, shut up. - Carmelita said.  
- Fine, but I'm gonna find out sooner or later.  
- Again with the subject changes! - Sly said. - We must improve our MJOLNIRs, otherwise everything will be doomed.  
- So I've heard, what's worse is that you said that the info of most of our weapon information was stolen, we cannot allow anyone but us to have a ship like the Autumn. - The duck-like creature said.  
- Would you mind introducing yourselves? - Kitty asked sarcastically.  
- Oh, where are my manners? - Said the golden droid. - It looks like R2's manners have taken a toll on my programming.  
The short droid beeped furiously and turned his upper part several times in complain.  
- Who are you calling idiotic philosopher?! - The droid complained.  
- While those two argue, I'll introduce myself. - The older woman said. - My name is Catherine Elizabeth Halsey.  
- I'm Sakura Haruno. - The pink-haired woman said.  
- I'm Bulma Briefs, nice to meet you. - The teal-haired woman said.  
- I'm Doctor Finkelstein. - The duck-like man in the wheel chair said.  
- I'm Hermione Granger, it's a pleasure. - The brown-haired woman said.  
- I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. - Said the golden droid. - And this is my companion, R2-D2. - He added while he gestured at the shorter droid.  
- Ok, why did you come here? - Dylan asked.  
- Did you forget? They're here to help Bentley, Penelope and Keswick to improve our tech. - Pat said.  
- Oh right, looks like obliviousness is inheritated after all.  
- Well, what exactly are you gonna do? - Kelly asked.  
- We can't tell you, even though this is a really secured part of Paris and we're using UNSC technology, we could be detected. - Dr Halsey said.  
- So what? Do you need privacy? - Asked Katherine.  
- Yes, if you were so kind.  
- Ok fellas, let's go to the training room. - Sly said.  
- Just make sure you don't start the Flood attack simulation. - Bentley said.  
- Why did you even created one? - Sly replied while he and the rest of the team started walking towards the training room.  
- It's better to be prepared for anything.  
The geniuses started talking among themselves and the others went to train into the training room.

(Again in DOOM)

- Well, what did you found? - Said Jack Rabbit.  
- This is amazing. - Dr M said. - I have information of so much UNSC technology and alien species, Cooper is such an idiot!  
- So what? Are we gonna build any of these? - Neyla asked.  
- We'll build everything, but first we need this. - Dr M while he showed everyone the image of a rare a stone.  
- A stone? Really? - Snaptrap said.  
- I told you, shut it, Snaptrap. - McCullen said. - And you idiots, that thing is the rarest metal in the world, that is adamantium.  
- Exactly, it's what I need to create this. - Dr M showed everyone the photo of a large ship.  
- What's that? - Raliegh asked.  
- That's the UNSC Pillar of Autumn, the "Pride of the UNSC Fleet".  
- Yes it is, but why are we stealing adamantium when we need Forcidium to make the armor-plating of that thing? - McCullen asked.  
- Because we need a Jedi and a wizard to make a single plate, besides the needed metals to make the alloy can't be found on Earth, they're spread throughout Sangheilios, Balaho and Reach.  
- Whatever, what else do you need?  
- We need to steal some materials from a UNSC base, the Base Segundo Terra in Mexico.

(Twenty-nine years ago)

Connor, Alexander, David and Ramiro were fighting with the Sons of the Night, a group conformed by Rodentius Snaptrap, James McCullen, Jacques Le Paradox and Julián Álvarez. The only bad thing was that they were losing.  
Connor crashed against a wall hard, then David fell over him, Alexander followed suit and finally Ramiro fell on top of his friends. The Righteous Four groaned and tried to stand up to keep fighting.  
- Damn... it... - Connor said.  
- You... said... it... - Ramiro said between gasps.  
- Who would've ever thought that you, the Great Righteous Four, would be crawling in the ground like the pathetic worms you really are. - Rodentius mocked.  
- Shut up, Snaptrap... - Ramiro said.  
- Like if you could give us any orders, Inspector Fox. - Julián said with a wicked smile in his thick Mexican accent.  
Connor pushed all his friends off of him, he struggled to stand up again and glared at the Sons of the Night.  
- I... will not... LET YOU WIN! - Connor yelled.  
- We already won, Cooper, we have your weapons, your families, and most importantly, we got you where we want you. - Le Paradox said.  
- That's what you think! - Some man yelled from behind the Sons of the Night.  
Julián, Rodentius, James and Jacques turned, only to be meeting the fists of Jim McSweeny, Constable Francisco Ramírez, Agent Edward Johnson and Kyle Connors. The Sons of the Night fell to the ground, they never expected this. However, the Righteous Four thought in a different way.  
- You're late... again. - David said.  
- Better late than never, pal. - Kyle said.  
- Luckily you weren't too late. - Connor let out.  
- It was mostly thanks to my driving, Conor. - McSweeny said.  
- You liar, we almost die because yo drive like crazy Jim. - Constable Ramírez said.  
- SHUT UP! - McCullen yelled.  
Everyone turned around again and saw that McCullen and the others were standing again.  
- Did you actually thought that just because your stupid friends came here you're safe? - Rodentius asked with a wicked smile.  
- I don't know what's worse, your stupid ideas or your smile. - Alexander said in a mocking tone.  
- Laugh all you want, I also brought some friends. - McCullen said before snapping his fingers.  
A lot of dust was raised, the Righteous Four and their partners covered their eyes and waited for the dust to be cleared. Once it did, they gasped in surprise.  
The Fiendish Five and the Sons of the Night were working together.  
- Hello Cooper, it's been such a long time. - Clockwerk said.  
If the ancient owl wouldn't have been mechanical, everyone could have seen his malicious grin.

(Present time, Base Segundo Terra)

McCullen got out of an air vent inside the mexican UNSC base. He dusted himself a bit and raised his wrist.  
- McCullen here, where are you, Rabbit? - McCullen said through his communicator.  
- We're outside the base, just neutralize the defenses and we'll get in. - Rabbit replied through the communicator.  
- Roger that, make sure everyone is in position.  
- Copy that, Rabbit, out.  
McCullen smirked maliciously. "This is going to be interesting", the evil raccoon thought.  
McCullen stuck his head out of the room, watching to see if there was any guards or soldiers that might stop him, when he saw that the coast was clear, he got out and ran silently and swiftly.  
A few minutes later, McCullen was getting close to the command center, but his path to it was through the hangar. He saw at least a hundred soldiers wearing armors, some of them were aliens with four mandibules.  
"They all look tough, I would like to test myself with them, but right now I am in a hurry, I will have to wait until another time", McCullen thought.  
McCullen hid behind some kind of air transport, he moved through the shadows and ran to the command center. He got inside and connected his computer to the main console, then he put a virus in the system, shutting down all the defenses of the base, but setting off an alarm.  
- Darn it! I hope those idiots can survive the attack. - McCullen said.  
- What's going on, McCullen?! We can hear an alarm from here! - Neyla's voice said through the communicator.  
- Get inside the base now! Go to the armory and take some of the weapons, then meet me at the hangar, I will download some files from this console. - McCullen said through the communicator.  
- What makes you think you can defeat us? - A voice said behind McCullen.  
McCullen smirked and pulled out his dagger.  
"Looks like I will be able to test myself with those aliens", McCullen thought with malicious intentions.

(Meanwhile with the other criminals)

- Move! We gotta get inside! - Rabbit said to the other criminals.  
- This'd be easier if there weren't any soldiers shooting at us! - Snaptrap said.  
- Shut it, Snaptrap! - Neyla said.  
- Stop there or we'll open fire! - A soldier yelled while he and other five pointed their guns at the criminals.  
- We don't think so! - Muggshot replied while he punched all the soldiers away.  
- Great! Now take their weapons and move! - Rabbit ordered.  
The criminals took the weapons from the inconscious soldiers and ran to the entrance. Once they got inside, they followed the signs to find the armory.  
A few minutes later, the criminals got inside the armory, and found a whole arsenal.  
- How do we take this back to the DOOM Headquarters? - The Chameleon asked.  
- Look, it's like that cube that Cooper uses the whole time. - Dr. Rabies said while he took a small bluish cube.  
- Perfect, let's find out how much stuff we can put in one of those. - Rabbit said while he took all the cubes.  
The criminals took a cube each and started to grab everything they could, not leaving anything.  
Then, after they had emptied the armory, they put on some armors they found in the back of the armory.  
- Let's get the heck outta here! - Madame Catastrophe said.  
The criminals ran out of the armory and were surrounded by soldiers.  
- By the authority of the United Nations Space Command and the New Republic, you are all under...! - A soldier tried to say.  
A powerful beam hit the soldiers, knocking them out immediately. The criminals saw the guilty and McCullen was carrying soem kind of cannon over his shoulder, he walked towards his comrades and dropped the cannon.  
- Always in the nick of time, isn't it, McCullen? - Rabbit said.  
- What can I say? I love to make big entrances. - McCullen said with a grin. - Do you have the weapons?  
- More than just the weapons. - Neyla said while she and the others showed their cubes.  
- Excellent, does any of you took the adamantium?  
- Yes, I did. - Tsao said.  
- Perfect, now let's go.  
The criminals started to run, they got inside one of the flying transports, something the UNSC called "Pelican", Neyla went to the cabin and ignited the motors.  
- You look like you know a lot about this Pelican. - Raliegh let out.  
- I used to be a pilot when I was one of the leaders of the Pirates. - Neyla replied while the Pelican raised the flight.  
The criminals started to hear gunfire, they looked through the hatch in the back of the transport and saw that at least a hundred soldiers were shooting at them.  
- Someone take the turret while I raise the shields! - Neyla ordered.  
A turret was shown from the roof of the hatch, McCullen took the place as gunner and opened fire on the soldiers, whom took cover behind some crates, pillars and vehicles.  
- Get us outta here! - McCullen yelled.  
The Pelican got out of the hangar, only to be encountered with five fighters with M-like wings.  
McCullen opened fire and shot down two fighters hat were behind them, while Neyla took care of the other three.  
- McCullen to M, we got what you wanted and even more. - McCullen reported through the communicator.  
- Excellent, come back immediately. - M said with evil satisfaction.  
- Hmm, that's strange. - Neyla let out.  
- What is it, gorgeous? - Rabbit asked.  
- The UNSC bases are never this easy to break in.  
- It's a mexican base. Mexico doesn't have the best of security systems, you know? - McCullen said.  
- We'll be in trouble if the UNSC sends its troops to help Cooper.  
- Not if we kill Cooper and his friends before.  
McCullen started to laugh evilly, being followed by the others very soon.

(UNSC base "Étoile du Matin")

- Several hours of speaking about strategies and how they'd improve their technology, the Scientists are now speaking about what the UCA would be doing next.  
- Do you really think they'd do something that risky? - Hermione's hologram asked Halsey's.  
- If we attacked the main shipyard of the Empire when our forces had been halved because of the Rebel Season, why do you doubt they'd do this? - Halsey's hologram replied.  
- True, true. - Penelope let out. - We gotta do something to prevent that from happening.  
- I thi-thi-think we must get everything and e-e-everyone out of here. - Keswick said.  
- It's too late to stop the UCA from taking something from us. - Said Cortana. - There are reports that an unnamed criminal association broke into the UNSC base near Mexico City, the Base Segundo Terra.  
- Then we gotta get working on the MJOLNIRs Mark XI, we must make sure they won't have the technological advantage. - Said Bulma.  
- Ok then, do you think they'll be able to copy the Mark Xs, we all know that has happened in the past. - Penelope asked.  
- Yes, don't you remember the Battle of Kuat? We may have won but that doesn't takes off the fact that the Empire and every other faction copied our Seven Big Ones.  
- Ok, let's get to work then. - Bentley said firmly.

(In the training room)

The team was now training hand-to-hand combat with hard-light clones of themselves. To make the trainig more challenging, they made their clones a bit btter than them.  
- So, how many things are out there? You know, like planets and aliens and stuff. - Dylan asked while he sparred with his clone.  
- Too many to count, not enough are known yet. - Carmelita replied while she fought hand to hand with her clone.  
- Why are we fighting with our hard-light clones? - Dudley asked while he made his clone trip.  
- There's no better opponent than yourself, Dudley. - Carlos said while he punched his clone in the stomach.  
While most of the team was not having too much difficulty to defeat their clones, Sly and Kitty had made their clones ten times better than themselves, which meant the clones were practically mopping the floor with them.  
Sly was thrown face first against a wall, then the clone grabbed his head and slammed his face again. The thief elbowed the clone and kicked him away, but the clone responded with a backflip kick to the chin.  
Meanwhile, Kitty tried a roundhouse kick against her clone, but the clone stopped her foot mid-air and threw her to the ground. The former agent kicked the clone in the face and freed herself, only to be kicked on the back and pinned face-first on the ground when she stood up.  
Jing and Murray saw this, Jing used one of her father's Flame-Fu techniques and Murray used his Fists of Flame to punch the clones away from Sly and Kitty.  
- You guys really need to stop pushing yourselves so hard, you could've hurt yourselves. - Murray said.  
- We were trying to become stronger. - Sly said between pants.  
- You must learn patience and self-control, Sly, and you too Kitty. - Jing said.  
- Jing, we're facing a problem of galactic proportions, we need to forget about measure and self-control. - Kitty said.  
- That never works, she's right, Kit, I'm speaking... - Sly tried to say.  
- From experience, I know, but it's just that I'm confused. - Kitty lets herself fall and huffs. - I never thought something like this could happen.  
The rest of the team walks to them.  
- We know it's hard, but we gotta keep going, sis. - Katherine said.  
- We also think this is crazy, but it's really cool. - Dylan said.  
- Besides, we're all friends, we'll always be there if any of us is in trouble, isn't it, guy? - Dudley asked.  
- "Truer words were never said". - Sly quoted himself.  
- C'mon, we must eat something, I'm starving. - Murray let out.  
- A warning, the UNSC food is horrible but at least is a lot more natural than any other. - Carmelita said while the team started to walk out of the training room.

(Minutes later)

- Yuck, this food is nasty. - Herbert said.  
- And I was complaining about the donuts in the office. - Barton let out.  
- Eat up, I know it's hard to do so, but after a few more mouthfuls and your taste buds will be dead for hours, that way you won't feel the flavor. - Sly said before he munched on a forkful of tasteless spaghetti.  
- You do know that there's always ramen since I became the UNSC Chief Director, don't you, Cooper? - A booming and authoritary voice said.  
The team lift their heads and gasp when they see a 6'7 ft. tall man with palish skin and some freckles. He also looked really strong and a bit old, he was also accompanied by a escort of seven soldiers.  
Sly smiled and shaked hands with the newcomer.  
- What brings the Legendary Master Chief Petty Officer and new Chief Director of the UNSC to the Parisian Facilities? - Sly asked.  
- You know him? - Dudley and Kitty asked Sly under their breaths.  
- Yep, Team TUFF Cooper, meet another of the 7 Heroes, John McArthey, the UNSC Chief Director, and an old friend of mine.  
- It's an honor. - John said with his booming voice while he saluted.  
- So, what's going on? Are you checking the UNSC facilities one by one? - Murray asked jokingly.  
John frowned and put a serious face.  
- No, Cortana told me that an "Unnamed Criminal Association" broke inside the Base Segundo Terra and stole UNSC technology. - John explained.  
The team's eyes went wide when they heard John say "Unnamed Criminal Association".  
- You gotta be kidding me. - Scarlett said.  
- Impossible. - Jing let out.  
- That can't be true. - Pat said.  
- I never lie about something like that, I wish it was a lie, though. - John said.  
- What did they steal? - Carmelita asked.  
- Information about our defenses around earth, the locations of our bases, data about our fleet, some weapons, armors and other stuff.  
- (Slams his fist on the table) Damn it! - Sly cursed. - I'm so stupid!  
- What are you talking about?  
- My team had them surrounded, and because of my arrogance, I let them escape.  
- It's not entirely your fault, we knew it was a bad idea and yet we agreed to do so. - Kitty said.  
- Still, I'm such an idiot!  
- I know you are, Sly. - John said. - But you can correct your mistake, however.  
- No, I am going to correct it, no matter what.  
- Good to hear it, you deserve a gift for that speech. - John said while he gestured a soldier to bring something.  
The team saw the soldier went out of the room with other two, then they both came back with four briefcases. The soldiers put the briefcases on a table, saluted at the team and John, and left.  
- What's in those briefcases, John? - Murray asked.  
- It's a surprise. - John said with an amused grin. - Come on, open them.  
Sly, Dudley, Kitty and Carmelita went to a briefcase, they opened them slowly and gasped. The rest of the team got closer to Sly and the others and also gasped.  
Inside the briefcases there were some weird and new watch-like devices. Sly took one of the devices, it was blue colored, he attached it to his left wrist and admired it.  
- It seems lighter, are these...? - Sly asked.  
- Yes, Halsey gave them to me, I know those should come in handy for you guys to finish your mission. - John responded.  
- Wait, are you saying that...? - Dylan asked.  
- Yes, you are now authorized to continue by the UNSC, we'll be there if you need help too.  
- Wow. - Carlos said. -This is just overwhelming.  
- It's hard, but you'll make it.  
- We know, it's our duty to stop them. - Carmelita said.  
- What I don't understand is what you're doing with an S-Class criminal like Mz. Ruby. - John let out.  
- I am part of this team, Cooper gave me a chance. - Mz. Ruby replied.  
- Fine, but once this is over, you and I got a lot to talk about. - John said to Sly.  
- You're wearing one of these armors too. - Sly said while he saw the watch-like device in John's left wrist.  
- Hehe, do you really think I'll let any of my soldiers use a MJOLNIR Armor without testing it myself first?  
- Wait, you mean that we're also...? - Dudley asked.  
- Yes. - John said while he pulled out some badges from a hyper-cube. - Welcome to the United Nations Space Command, we'll talk about your ranks and places when you are done with your mission.  
Sly, Kitty, Dudley and Carmelita smirked, then Kittty, Dudley and Carm took an armor and attached them to their wrists, they took the armors and gave them to the rest of the team.  
- Alright team, let's do this! - Sly said with a smirk.  
- They won't even know what hit 'em! - Pat said.  
- We'll teach the UCA a lesson! - Scarlett added.  
- We'll kick their butts! - Cleo let out.  
- We've been upgraded and we're ready for anything! - Dudley said.  
- I love to see your enthusiasm. - John let out with a smile. - If you need any help, don't doub on ask the UNSC for it.  
- We'll keep that in mind. - Kitty said. - Thanks for everything, Chief.  
The team saluted at John and the latter did the same.  
- Good luck, may the Force be with you, guys. - John said.  
- Thanks, John, may the Force be with you too. - Carmelita said. - Say hello to Parisa for me.  
- I will.  
The team got out of the dining hall and ran to the room were the Scientists were still discussing.  
- I still think Keswick is some kind of kangaroo. - Bulma said.  
- No, I think he's a fusion of many animals. - Hermione said.  
- No, he's probably some missed experiment. - Penelope let out.  
- Would you mind not speaking about me? - Keswick asked quite anoyed.  
- That's right guys, Keswick, Penelope and Bentley have work to do. - Sly said while he and his team bursted inside the room.  
- What's going on? - Cortana asked.  
- They've been authorized by the UNSC to continue. They gotta get working on a plan to stop that Unnamed Criminal Association. - John said while he entered the room behind the team.  
- Well, before we were talking 'bout Keswick's species, we spoke about a plan of action, a retribution for what they did to the Base Segundo Terra. - Bentley said.  
- Ok, what's the plan? - Kitty said.  
- We know what they're trying to do, they're trying to replicate the Autumn. - Penelope said.  
- How do ya know? - Scarlett asked.  
- The UCA stole not only weapons and data, but also the Hell Rider armors and all our supply of adamantium. - Cortana explained.  
- I see, do you think we can stop them before they make the copy? - Pat asked.  
- No, we'll have to destroy it on a space battle, and given to the fact that they're cowards, I'm sure they won't even be inside their ship. - Bentley said.  
- However, we have ma-ma-managed to make a Plan B, in case Plan A doesn't works. - Keswick explained. - Plan A is to destroy the ship and face them on the ground below the battle.  
- And I guess Plan B is to defeat the UCA in Kaine Island, isn't it? - Sly said.  
- You're really smart, Sly. - Hermione said.  
- Well, then let's keep training. - Sly said while he turned to the rest of his team. - Activate your armors, we gotta make sure you know how to use them when the time comes.  
- How do we do that? - Barton asked while he scratched his ear.  
- Easy, just press the middle button at the right side of the dial. - Carmelita said while she did what she had said. - Then, when the dial lifts, push it down and the armor will activate.  
Carmelita pushed the dial of her watch and it turned into a full-body armor with orange plating and blue body suit.  
The other team members did the same than Carmelita and were covered by their armors, which had different colors.  
- Alright, let's go! - Sly said while he raised his fist in the air. 


End file.
